Making Strides ... My Running and Workout Blog

Chilly Tuesday Night Speedwork

2010-11-09T21:55:00.001-05:00

Tonight was group speedwork. We were supposed to do 6x800s but only two of us were doing the extra 800s (the rest only had to do 4) so they compromised and did 2 400s with us. So they did more, and we did less.

I am going to have to look to see how these numbers compare but here they are for the blog's sake:

1 mi w/up
800s: 3:48, 3:42, 3:36, 3:37
400s: 1:35, 1:42

Do Over! A.K.A. Blue Moon Half-Marathon Race Report

2010-11-07T17:18:00.004-05:00

Chip Time: 1:53:08 - new PR by 3 minutes! :)

If I could have gone back out last Sunday and run that race again I promise I would have. I was so hungry for a do-over that I started searching for another race from my phone on the way home. First I looked at the weather for today: 50 degrees? A near thirty degree difference in a week? Hmmm...

Next, I remembered the time change.

And finally, I remember the Blue Moon Half Marathon, 30 minutes from home, one week away.

A mulligan.

There are two things that can happen when the stars line up that beautifully for a race - you can either completely bomb it and have no excuses for why you did, or you can thank God for perfect racing conditions, remember that those only happen once in a... ahem... blue moon, and go for it.

There were lots of friends at this race, which made it especially fun. We hung out for a bit before the start and then lined up in a tight-nit pack for the start. I wasn't the least bit nervous. That always makes me nervous. It seemed bitter cold but as someone pointed out it was because we had baked for months on end. Truly, the conditions were perfect.

The race started late (as always) and was pretty packed at the start. About a quarter mile in the half marathoners turn right and the 5k-ers turn left, thinning out the pack quite a bit. I settled into a pace that I felt was comfortable and checked in at mile 1. 8:16. Perfect. That felt good and was well below my goal pace (my 2nd tier goal was under 1:55, my first tier goal was the 1:52 Mark had told me I was capable of last week). (8:46/8:32) Since I've raced this route before, I knew to be prepared for an onslaught of "hills" in the form of a bridge we ran up, turned around and ran up again all within a quarter- to a half-mile. When we approached the bridge my mind relaxed; it was *nothing* compared to the hills of San Francisco 3 weeks ago! I tore up the bridge just for sport, passing quite a few people along the way, and wondered if I'd suffer the consequence on the flat part. Nope, my legs handled that quite nicely. I relaxed on the down, got to the turn-around, and tore back up the bridge again. On the turn-around, we faced a wind I hadn't noticed when it was at my back, and had to re-adjust to that.

I felt good through mile 5. At mile 6 my perceived rate of exertion went up, and so did my time. I started thinking that I'd need to talk to Ma'am about this; how could I feel so good the first 6 miles and not feel good now? I know it's not endurance, because I have endurance. I started running through the possibilities: Longer speedwork? More tempo? About this time they were handing out Gus so I took one, but switched it out for the Hammergel I had in my pocket, and took that instead. That didn't sit too well and required a potty stop, dammit. But this time I picked out a runner, sped to the restroom, went quick (I am good at this!) and then ran back out. I told myself I had to run my heart out the next two miles to make up the difference and then after those miles were locked in, I could dial down the pace if I needed to. I caught up to my runner "marker" and knew I hadn't lost too much, as long as she hadn't slowed down.

At mile 6.55 (half way) I looked at my watch and saw that I had a 56:00 flat. If I continued on the pace I was I could get my first tier goal of 1:52. I decided to just push as hard as I could; if I fell apart so be it, I'd be a lot closer to my goal than if I didn't. About this time the fuel started kicking in and whatever was falling apart at mile 6 was renewed. I had a lot more energy and just felt good ... and was having a ton of fun.

I missed the 10 mile mark time (5k to go so I could figure out my projected finish time). At 11 I knew that if I finished in 20 minutes I'd be at 1:55. I was cautiously optimistic that I might get a PR since I was feeling VERY strong even still. At mile 12 I checked again, and started to feel even more like this might be it...!! The course turns off the trail, down a street and turns into the park, going by the finish line first before turning back in to the finish. I was starting to feel exhaustion set in at this point, but then the crowd bolstered my spirits. I started looking for Chuck - I hoped he was paying attention because I was coming in earlier than I think he'd have predicted - and there he was. I squealed (yes, squealed) and he said, "Well hurry up, go faster!!" and I DID. Where that kick came from I do not know, but I cheered for myself all the way in by a clock that read 1:53:18 (or something). Not sure what my chip time was but I was so flipping ecstatic I did not CARE.

I had so much fun during this race! It was absolutely perfect from start to glorious finish. I felt like I ran smart, ran comfortably, but most of all enjoyed just about every bit of it. I am feeling like I am really starting to make strides and really inspired to make this one of my best racing seasons yet!

Halloween Halfathon - Race Report

2010-10-31T21:43:00.003-04:00

Time: 2:00:43 (chip)

I have determined that the Ft. DeSoto course has bad juju for me. Last year, exactly one year ago, was what I refer in my head to as the FML half marathon, where the heat, humidity and a polyester Cinderella dress left me in near tears as I trudged my way to the finish. The one highlight was meeting Morgan, Redhead Running, who has since hightailed it out of Florida to Michigan to live with her main squeeze. So to Morgan: Happy Anniversary!

March found me again in Ft DeSota with a diagnosed-by-a-bonafide-doctor case of bronchitis, where I made a call at mile 3.1 to finish the half-marathon and ended up feeling better, and ended up getting 2nd place AG for my finishes over the course of the half marathon series. It was a "and we all lived happily ever after" ending but for Heaven's sake, who wants to run a half marathon with bronchitis!?!

Today was supposed to eradicate that silly notion of location juju. I've had surprisingly good showings when least expected recently - the surprise sub-25 5k earlier this month and then an all-too-easy 1-mile PT test clocking in at 7:23 after fighting for sub-7:30s for I don't even know how long. This was a half-marathon! Woo hoo! Add in my patent "sling shot effect" with a marathon 2 weeks ago and I was guaranteed an effortless PR! Bring it!

We met up with Jenny with only 20 minutes to go before the gun, and each realized a case of nerves. WTH? Just 13, I said to my marathon training partner. That's a dial-down week in marathon training land...

Off we went into the dark of the island, and I was demoralized quickly as I was passed by runner after runner. Knowing my strength was in endurance, I let them. I'd pass them later.

The first 3 miles clicked in at 8:28, 8:41, 8:44. I was pleased, except during that third mile I started to feel decidedly sick. I popped into a porta-potty right at the start/finish line. When I ran past Chuck he said, "You've got about 30 seconds to make up there!"

At mile 4 I seriously considered my first DNF. At mile 6 I thought of stopping and calling Chuck and asking him to come get me. At the turn-around, the beautiful Skyway Bridge in sight, I made my 3rd stop of the race. I knew I'd be lucky to finish, let alone break 2 hours. I was so upset.

At mile 9, I realized the problem: My iFitness running/race number belt was encumbered more than usual with my new Droid phone, weighing significantly more than the BlackBerry it had replaced. I pulled the belt up over my rib cage, and felt instant relief. I thought I'd be renewed and could bolt it home with a mere 4 miles to go, but at this point I was exhausted and spent. I had not taken any fuel thanks to the state of my stomach, and I had no energy left. I limped in the last 4 miles.

I am frustrated that I can't have a good race on this course. It takes us about an hour to get there from home, and I think it's worth traveling for. Chris Lauber, race director, has been often called out on this blog for the quality races he puts on at a reasonable cost with attention to detail. The course itself is flat and fast, and it is fun to see the faster runners loop back on the course. The day was less humid and cooler, leading me to run 8 minutes faster this year than last (a fact thoughtfully broadcasted by the announcer shortly after I finished - a nice, personal touch to this home-grown race). The Halloween race specifically is a reunion of sorts, as the Tampa Bay runner community reconvenes for our season, after a long hot summer. I love the race, love the course, but just cannot race it to my potential.

Nonetheless, I am glad I did it and look forward to loading up my fall/winter race calendar with more half marathons. The distance itself was comfortable. I know I lost a great deal of time stopping along the race course - and added to the distance (my Garmin reads the race as 13.21 since I had to leave the certified course more than once). I appreciate the fact that there is another race on this same course in 5 months ... a proving ground of progress. I just hope whatever haunts me at that ancient fort is done with me by then...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Happy New Year!

2010-10-26T21:16:00.003-04:00

Just kidding, it's not, but sometimes it feels like that with races starting to crank up all over. While the rest of the nation's runners are winding down their running seasons and finding the nearest treadmill, we Floridians feel like we live on the opposite side of the Earth and get our training cranked up!

So with that in mind I've been hashing out a few running-related goals I have set for myself between now and the last Spring race, whichever that might be:

A most important "personal" goal: To be a better as a participant in the blog community. I have received so much support and feedback from readers of this blog and I really want to offer the same. I am trying to stay caught up on reading but I have fallen behind, and I intend to prioritize staying in touch better with the blogosphere, as it is called (apparently my browser agrees that is a word, since there is no red squiggly line underneath it alerting me to a misspelling!)
Concentrate on my half-marathon time. I cannot call out a time goal yet as I do not yet know what to expect from myself at this point. After years of chasing the elusive sub-25 5k I managed to make it twice in the past 3 months. After trying to get my 1-mile PT under 7:30, I got a 7:23 this morning without even "trying". This means one of two things: I am starting to get a handle on getting my head out of the way and running relaxed OR I am getting faster. Or maybe it IS both things. Either way, I am running this weekend's half marathon as a "time trial" to see what I am capable of as it stands, and will use that information to build my training and expectations for the rest of the running season.
Break 24 minutes at the Armadillo 5k in March. I set this goal after my last 5k with a running friend who finally broke 25 (and beat me). We are going to fine tune our training near that race to accomplish that and work together to achieve it.
Focus on nutrition. Up the the ante of vegetable consumption and dial back the meat. I've also been toying with eliminating sugar substitutes. I've tried some regular sodas and today had a sugar-sweetened tea and they are sugary enough to make me want to gag. I think I'd be better off consuming a tiny bit of sugar to a lot of Splenda, especially in my drinks.
More water. See above.

I am also considering another marathon in the very near future just to capitalize on the training I've already done, plus the better weather, plus the fact that I enjoyed the distance of my race in San Fran (the hills, rain and chill notsomuch). I am so solidly riding the fence on that I have splinters in my butt. That could go either way ... based mainly on finding a decent race during an available weekend in a place close to home. That is a lot of variables to consider for a race of that magnitude, so we'll see.

This morning was the 1-mile PT test and tonight was speedwork. This weekend's half marathoners did 8 instead of the 12 our plan called for. Each of the eight with the exception of two were almost exactly the same (1:49.5). Two were 1:47 and 1:48. I ran each with a different level of perceived effort but in the same amount of time. Reason #137528 why a runner should do repeats - to learn how to run just as fast in a more relaxed state. Too bad running repeats is a whole lot of not fun, it sure is good for you. Just like vegetables.

Nike Women's Marathon - San Francisco - Race Report

2010-10-20T09:51:00.002-04:00

I have spent the last few days wondering how I would compose this post... because in the stark black and white of words, what I would say about the race itself is largely negative, yet it was not a negative experience.

In a nutshell, we all agreed: Are we glad we did it? Yes. Would we do it again? Absolutely not.

When we found out we'd won the lottery to get into this race we were ecstatic, and I think that is part of the lure and appeal of this race. Let's face it, anything exclusive is just that much more appealing, and knowing you've "won" your way in adds to the experience. I had said I didn't want to do another fall marathon last year but we cast our lot in for this race, and had to align other "standby" races just in case. And then we got in. And we trained ... during the hottest summer in Tampa Bay's history. As we trained in this sticky heat (and got strangely acclimated) our mantra was: It will feel SO good to run in San Francisco in October!! We were training in the worst to be ready for the best.

About three weeks ago my usual plantar fasciitis was eclipsed by another pain in the same foot, this time on top. I feared a stress fracture, but wasn't willing to address it until after this marathon. A lot of expense in terms of time, money, sweat and tears had gone into getting to this transcontinental race, and if the result of running it injured was I had to sit out the rest of the winter racing season due to further injury well, then, so be it. It was a chance I was willing to take. Even still, I took several days off about two weeks out. I returned to running pain free, but then mysteriously last Wednesday the site swelled up to twice its size. I didn't know what to expect.

Early Friday morning my running partners and I met in the dark as we have so many mornings, and headed west. I was so preoccupied with the effort to get 6 people ready to go in two different directions (Chuck with me, and the kids with their grandparents) that I hadn't had a chance to really think about why I was going.

We arrived in the city and pretty immediately saw the "expotique". It was a custom made tent covering a park in Union Square. Chuck and I settled into our hotel and then met Carin and Jenny at the "expotique". It was such a disappointment. We knew to be underwhelmed but this was far less than even that. Getting our bibs and information was confusing, and the volunteers were unhelpful (not their fault, just lack of information passed down to them). There were no vendors except sponsors and a small counter offering "runner essentials" - a small selection of gels, shot blocks, etc. Thank goodness I had remembered and packed all I'd need; unlike other races where forgotten items could easily be replaced, you were limited to your usual mass-merchandise-type stuff and even that selection was limited. Race souvenirs could be purchased across the street at Nike Town, and here they did not disappoint; they had everything from arm warmers to shorts to NWM running shoes.

Chuck had never been to San Fran so on Saturday while Jenny and Carin laid low as they should, he and I headed out to explore. At one point we found ourselves climbing a very steep hill to Lombard Street - duh. I don't think I ever fully wrapped my head around the fact that YES, I was running a marathon the next day. It didn't truly hit me until I laid out all of my stuff before bed that night and realized that when I woke up, it was happening. One more quick sleep until 26.2. I was NOT ready.

The good thing about a West Coast race is that though the clocks in the city all said 7 at the start, my clock said 10. Carin, Jenny and I were bright-eyed and ready when we met for the start the next morning. It was chilly, but we were insulated by the buildings. We took off our top layers and prepared for 55-degree weather. Following the runner's rule with the 30 degree difference, 55 + 30 would equal 85 comfortable degrees for running.

Carin and I lined up with the 4:15 pacer and got to know her a bit. I asked about her strategy and she said she was going to take it easier on the hills and make it up on the down side. And then we were off.

The corrals were self-seeding, and that is always a mistake. Not many are brutally honest with themselves - never mind a race corral filled with running buddies - about what they are truly capable of. As a result, we had many a walker and trotter ahead of us, many trudging along three and four abreast. Trying to get around these slower ladies was daunting, especially on the craggy old streets of San Francisco. It was frustrating to try to follow that 4:15 lollypop, and doing so required too much inconsistent running. In addition, runner etiquette was all but non-existent. Runners were falling, tripping over each other, darting around and in front of each other, suddenly slowing or stopping ... it was treacherous and frustrating and exhausting.

At mile 4 we climbed a hill to Ghiradelli Square. In that most of our "hill training" had been on the bridges of Clearwater Beach, Carin and I jokingly declared that hill the Sand Key Bridge - as steep as the bridge but shorter. *high five*, this ain't so bad!

Descending this hill, our pacer started to make up time, as promised. There was also a water stop. After a quick debate with myself, I decided to grab some water on the steep downhill, and made a quick right to double-back. In doing so, I rolled the ankle of the "good" foot... and it hurt something fierce. Momentarily I freaked - was THIS it? Did I come all the way to San Francisco to run four flipping miles of the Nike Women's Marathon? A quick assessment and I decided I could go on ... and I needed to hurry because that 4:15 stick was scurrying down the rest of the hill pretty damn fast.

I ran my heart out until I caught up to Carin, who was calling my name as I approached the pace team. One hill down and ... OMG. What is that up ahead? As if reading my mind Carin said, "I've done that hill, it's okay. We'll be okay!"

At mile 6 we approached that hill. I started running up it, but I was scared. I still had 20 miles to go and this hill was no joke, and I knew from studying the course elevation map that it was going to be a full mile of uphill. I had been thinking gradual uphill, this was not gradual. This was steep and steady with no top in sight. This was a mountain. I switched to walking, and decided I was going to be a-okay with walking any and all hills if it meant I got in one piece from start to finish. The 4:15 lollypop was beyond my scope, and the 4:20 hustled by as well...

A spectator congratulated us at the top. My constant pollyanna stance about hills, "It's only HALF the hill you need to worry about, going up! The down part is the reward!" bit me square in the butt. DOWN can suck just as bad as up, I am now here to tell you. I had visions of falling on my rear end, and wondered if I still got the Tiffany necklace if I slid a quarter mile of the race.

After a series of daunting hill-mountains, I mentioned that I thought the worst was over. Another runner said, "Oh no, there is a killer hill at mile 9." "Worse than what we've done?" "Oh, absolutely." I said, "But then we are done." She said, "Yes, then the worst is over..." as she caught a look at my bib. "Oh. Wait. You are doing the full? Nevermind."

At Mile 10 I saw Chuck, and ran straight his warm arms, which were opened wide to greet me. He let me know my running partners were okay and said he'd see me at 16. SIXTEEN. That felt like forever away at the time but actually went very quickly. Miles 11 and 12 seemed to last the longest mainly because I was ready for the half marathoners to GO AWAY. I was ready to reclaim some road space and peace and quiet.

Apparently it started to rain at mile 12. I didn't realize it until mile 17.

The part I was dreading the most - miles 18-24, ended up being very pleasant. The course was similar to Nashville, in that you could see mile markers in the 20s just as you were ending the teens, something that was very demoralizing for me in that race. This time it was actually fun to watch the other participants run strong races and try to figure out what their times might be. I always marvel at strong runners and how they make it look so easy and comfortable.

The course looped around a lake at a slight incline. At about mile 23, I decided I was bored and ready to get this over with. Never once did I recognize the fact that it was pouring rain and that the temperature had dropped significantly.

Miles 24 to finish were on a slight downward slope. We finished onto a red carpet lined with the promised tuxedo'ed firemen holding silver platters stacked with the Tiffany blue boxes tied in white ribbon. The finish was NOT a letdown and just as Nike had promised. I was reeling a little bit about how both very difficult and very easy that run had been. It hardly felt like I'd finished a marathon, mileage-wise, but I was stunned by the difficulty of the course.

I stood on the red carpet for a bit hoping to see Jenny or Carin, and then suddenly my "good" foot - the one with that I had rolled - seized up in white-hot pain. I tried to breathe through it but suddenly it overwhelmed me and before I knew it I was sobbing from the pain. That pissed me off because I don't cry from pain, and I just couldn't stop. Chuck was in a quandary, trying to help me but also worried about Jenny, who'd run an impressive 3:43 BQ time (again!) and was searching for warmth in any form, even in the form of one of Nike's overpriced NWM sweatshirts. We also couldn't find Carin. Things were deteriorating pretty quickly, and we were getting a little bit frantic. Somehow I hobbled to the med tent for some Tylenol and ice, so I could make the trek back into the city. Chuck got me seated and went back to find Jenny and Carin. They had run out of mylar "space blankets" at the finish line, but had them in the med tent, so I asked for one. One of the volunteers handed me one, and before I knew it, two RNs were kneeling beside me, asking me if I was cold, or wet. Cold for sure, but wet I could not say. One of the nurses told me I was going to need to change, quick, because I was getting close to hypothermia. I responded, "I am from Florida" and she said, "and I am from California" as though talking to a stupid person, LOL. I said, "NO! I am just trying to say, I am from FL so this is pretty cool for me." She said, "Honey, it's not THAT cold." Within 5 minutes I was in a long sleeve dry shirt, wrapped in a red cross blanket and the teeth chattering stopped. 10 minutes later I was as good as new, from head to toe. Jenny was also treated for the same - and she and I agreed that the Red Cross would be receiving a nice donation from each of us. We were treated so efficiently and so wonderfully that we are contemplating a visit to the med tent after every race for some pampering ... just kidding. Seriously, what could have been a terrible experience was replaced by the professionalism and attentiveness of an incredible medical response team.

Thank goodness the three of us reconvened in good shape because once we left the "finish village" we had to trudge back UP a hill about a quarter of a mile to stand in line to catch a bus back to the starting line. After about an hour, we were finally snuggled in on the warm bus for our half-hour ride back into the city. Our driver couldn't make it to our designated drop-off, so he just let us off on a random corner, LOL. Carin and Jenny went one way, and Chuck and I went another. I am sure I was a sight to behold. I had taken my shoes off when my foot was hurting so bad and could not put them back on, so I was in socks, wet and shivering, wrapped in a Red Cross blanket, trudging through downtown San Francisco in the rain. If I'd had a bucket, I'm sure I would have collected a lot of money for my seemingly poor and wretched self.

My composition teachers would want me to wrap up this blog entry with a summary. The summary will just reiterate the introduction ... I don't know what to say about this race! If I had to boil it down to the expo and the race itself, I would say that this race was a disappointment with respect to the promise versus the delivery. If I had had any clue what I was going to be facing in those 26.2 miles I probably would have been crying at the start as well as the finish. But what's strange about that is that overall I'd say the experience was a very positive and uplifting one and I am not at all sorry I did it. It's hard not to be positive ... one friend finished her very first marathon beautifully on a harsh, cold and windy course while another laid down another Boston Qualifier. But for me, the biggest indicator that overall this was a great weekend is that I flew out to California expecting to run my last marathon, and flew home to Florida contemplating my next one. As for that, the only sure thing I know is that it will be a FLAT marathon course!

A Whole Month Later...

2010-10-12T15:01:00.002-04:00

I just opened up my blog to find a post I hadn't even published - a month ago.

I keep thinking I'll get back to regular blogging and maybe I will... after all, the Fall is when the race season starts heating up and I actually have something new to say and to post. For now, marathon training is just week after week of racking up miles ... enjoying some runs, dreading others, cursing the weather one run, blessing it another. After 5 years of blogging (this one and one previous blog) it's hard to come up with anything new and interesting to say. So I say nothing. (A feat for me, for sure...)

In this past month I've finished training for the Nike Women's Marathon. I'll go this weekend and run my 6th marathon. I am surprisingly at ease with this. I am actually more freaked out about the fact that I have to get into a little tin can and go all the way across the United States and be rivers and mountains and prairies from my babies than I am about the fact that I have 26.2 miles of hills and bridges ahead of me. I was thinking today how weird it is that I am a-okay with the fact that I have 26.2 miles on tap for the weekend, but when the 18 and 20-milers are looming, I am a complete mess from about Tuesday on? I was sitting at a red light thinking this through and *bam*, the answer. I knew the answer, but I never really boiled it down to the fact: I *love* to run a marathon, I *hate* to train for one. Well, duh! That's what blog post after blog post, and running discussion after running discussion has been distilled to. For some reason I never could bring myself to admit I love to run the MARATHON - I couldn't "unlink" the training from the event. That's why when I say this will be my last one, my buddies laugh and say, "Yeah. Okay. We'll see!" ...on the other side of this marathon, I will be figuring out the next one. I know it, they know it, but try telling me that mid-cycle. Mid-cycle I curse any stupidity that led me to plunk down $100+ to torture myself for 4 and a half hours, plus those hours leading up to that day where I semi-voluntarily get up in the middle of the night to go run through the sticky humidity to nowhere with a headlamp lighting my way and alligators cheering me along. Who in their right mind would EVER sign up for such nonsense???

Another benefit to marathoning, for me, is that it does bring me back to the Zen state of running. I admit I'll never make it to Boston, unless as the joke goes, my time and my age converge somewhere in my 50s or 60s. I admit that I don't want to really work that hard for 3 hours and 45 minutes. I can pretend like I do, and I admire the hell out of those who do, but I, Kathryn, do not, will not and cannot prepare myself mentally, physically or emotionally for that kind of effort at this point in my life. Now that I have made that admission, to myself and out loud, I can relax and enjoy the ride... though I do very much covet that jacket.... :)

In the meantime, I will work hard on what I AM willing to work hard on - my beloved half-marathon distance and times, knocking some time off my 5k, but most of all running because I want to, not because I am pulled by some sort of expectation of myself I know I can never meet - more importantly, am not willing to put in the effort to meet. In this more Zen-like state, I ran a 5k last weekend. I kissed C at the start and told him not to worry for me if the time read 28:xx or 29:xx or whatever, because I wasn't there to race too hard (he looked at me dubiously - he knows me better than that!). To our surprise, I came in smiling under 25. After working SO hard to break that number... there it was. It wasn't effortless, but it wasn't a whiney vomit-at-the-finish effort either, like it was in July. It just was.

The marathon is a running retreat, akin to a spiritual retreat. It is proof that it is worth it. It reinforces that even at its most raw and most vulnerable, it is truly what you love. You could live without it, but you don't want to, even at that point where you don't want to run another step. And although I do solemnly vow I will never run another Fall marathon ever again (I will not, not as long as I reside in FL which I assume will be for the rest of my days!), I have to admit that having a marathon at the beginning of the race season means that everything else is just a downhill slide. The endurance is there, you just have to tweak the speed and effort a bit.

Not much running to do this week, just taper, pack and fret about the flight. Next post will be a recap of THE RACE!!! :)

Friday Hills

2010-09-17T19:02:00.002-04:00

It was just Carin and me for hills today and we enjoyed the beautiful, humidity-free morning! Carin and I have spent a lot of time together during this training, and enjoy not only camaraderie, but even just the silent miles plugging along and knowing you have a buddy beside you. It's one of the best parts of running and having running friends - just being together, but not always having to talk, but knowing if you have something to say, they'll care and they'll listen. There is also a code in running partnerships that is a special - the catch phrase of Vegas takes on real meaning in running: What is said on the run, stays on the run. I've said before and I'll say again: It's like a sibling relationship, without the rivalry. You accept each other for who you are, you appreciate that they are there through thick and thin, you appreciate the fact that they are there for the good and the bad. We may not talk at all during the week or between runs, but you'd never know it.

September

2010-09-16T14:18:00.003-04:00

Not working has had effect on how I manage my computer time. I don't have a great deal of extended time to spend on the computer, so often my time is spent doing "drive bys" - researching, checking in, returning emails, calling up recipes, helicopter-mothering my kids' grades with the on-line gradebook.

My blog has been the first to suffer, but I kinda figured no one cared anyway. There are a circle of us who I know read each other's blogs, but by and large it's my own gig, something I use as a bit of a journal, with a little twist, because others can read it and give feedback.

I'm looking at the back end of marathon training now, and getting ready to cycle into half-marathon maintenance, and perhaps setting my sights on a half PR or two. This is a fun time for FL runners, when we start to get our mojo back and comment enthusiastically about humidity drops and off-shore tropical storms making for just-that-much-better weather. It's still a contention, but there is the ever-present hope that this might just be the last week of stifling weather, or thunder-storm interruptions.

I've done a 20-miler on the aptly named Labor Day - although it was not laborious until the last mile and a half, so we'll put that in the win category. A 16-miler over the bridges again proved to be easier, reinforcing the hard work we've put in is starting to pay off.

Speedwork stayed frustratingly steady until this past Tuesday, when a "cold front" came in and as the humidity dipped, so did my repeat times, despite no extra effort on my part. This was reassurance that YES, all of that work in the summer heat will pay off in the fall. Yay!

This is a cut-back week, before one more 20-miler and then taper time! I need the cutback week as my plantar fasciitis is flaring pretty bad, and I am nursing a few other little nagging injuries. I guess those who write those training plans know exactly what they are doing!

Hopefully I'll be better about keeping up from here on out. I keep saying that this is my last marathon so I probably won't need the blog posts for reference anymore ;). Of course, I ALWAYS say that right about this time in the cycle, so who knows ...! FOR SURE, this will be my last fall marathon - training in the summer is just so brutal!

Before I sign off, I must mention that today I celebrate 15 years of marriage to not only the best running partner ever (even though he does not run!), but to my best friend, true love and soul mate. We did not know the path our life would take when we stood before God and our families to become our own family. We could not anticipate our four wonderful children, the ups and downs we've weathered, the fact that one day we'd base romantic vacations on race schedules and locations (LOL), or the amazing fact that we'd grow closer each and every day. I am so very blessed.

It's Okay To "Hate" Running In the Summer

2010-08-30T11:23:00.004-04:00

I just spent a few minutes organizing my Runner's World magazines in my little hide-away office. The first publication I have is dated November 2005. I guess that's when I decided I was dedicated enough to the sport/hobby to have a subscription of my own take up residence beside my husband's issues of Golf in the bathroom magazine rack. Funny, because my first marathon was January 2005. I know for a while I felt like an impostor; I ran regularly, I could call myself a marathoner, but I still didn't know what terms like "fartlek", "tempo", "striders", and "Yasso 800" meant.

Until two years ago I essentially took these hot, sweaty, humid days of summer off, making an occasional trip to the YMCA treadmills for an hour of Dr. Phil and to watch the little red dots form a circle on my console over and over again. Jenny gently persuaded me to start running regularly in the summertime, and lo and behold, it wasn't a death march. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't as horrible as I'd envisioned. It meant earlier mornings and a quick glance at the weather radar on my BlackBerry for any red or purple blobs sitting over the park at 6am, but it wasn't too bad.

Last Sunday I had a 7-miler on the schedule. As planned, I wasn't in the greatest shape for this 7-miler and it wasn't easy, but it was quick. As excited as I'd been to "only" have 7 miles on my schedule, and as fun as it was to be the second shift of the other girls' longer mileage, for the rest of the day I felt kind of bereft. I was cranky and edgy, like something was missing. I felt like I hadn't run at all, and lacked the energy and self-satisfaction that I've come to expect on Sundays.

We had a ton of rain early last week, and we called speed work on Tuesdays. I had intended to make up the workout on Thursday, but mid-day felt suddenly very ill. I decided that running in the heat was not a great idea, so I cancelled out. As I was trying to re-work my plan for the remainder of the week I realized something: I had only run 1 mile that week. ONE MILE!! That mile had been my PT test (7:32) on Wednesday morning.

I quickly texted Jenny and she (and later I found out, Mark) and I came up with a plan for some make up miles. I did my regularly scheduled Friday morning hill run with the girls (7 miles) and then an additional 4 at the track, including 1/4 mile on the bleachers. With 16 scheduled for Sunday, I was back on track (so to speak :)).

Sunday Jamie, Jenny, Carin and I made the trek to Clearwater Beach so that we could get some solid hill training in, courtesy the two large and steep bridges along the 16-mile route we mapped out. We ascended the first bridge the first mile of our run, and I was already winded. That began a chain of negative thoughts that started with, "And this is only the FIRST mile. In the heat. With the wind you thought was certain on a beach completely absent. With three other bridges left to run. And this is something you've chosen to do for some stupid reason..."

I continued to have a cautious attitude about the run for a lot of the miles. Carin at one point said, "You okay? Seems like you aren't 'feeling it' this morning..." I was okay, but she was right. I wasn't feeling it, at all.

We had run out of water and were getting nervous, but knew we could make it to the Marriott where runners were welcome to use their restrooms and refill their water bottles at the fountain. Before we got there we saw Jenny and Jamie, excitedly waving to us. "We have a surprise for you!" A water fountain? Nope, better than that - a water fountain AND a mister - glorious Florida-style outdoor A/C. We got sprayed, refilled, Gu'ed and left refreshed. Just 5 miles left to go...

We ascended the steep and quad-trashing Sand Key bridge, and the ran back down it, 4 miles left to run through Clearwater Beach's newly renovated "beach walk" studded with water fountains and populated by other cheerful and friendly runners and bikers. I looked to my left and the sky was pink and the water was calm. I looked to my right and saw a man practicing tai chi as the sun rose. I said to Carin, "We are so lucky." She said, "To have a great place to run? I know." We were both starting to get tired and my good attitude was waning and that last steep bridge was approaching. It signaled the end of a hot August summer run, but it still had to be conquered. Jamie and Jenny had finished the first 16 miles, and decided to run the bridge once more, and met us as the base. We followed them up and over, then down the helix to the parking lot ... the finish line of a favorite race that follows this same route (but was 2.9 miles shorter).

We ran a circuitous route to the car to get our 16 miles in (my Garmin had died about 9 miles in to the run, so I was dependent on Carin to let me know when we were done). Chuck and the kids had met us there so we could go on down the beach for a day of boating, so after eating some delicious homemade pumpkin muffins Jenny had made, we took off. As we left and Chuck asked me how it was, I said, "Alright - it was hard, and hot..."

Then today, when I was going through all of those magazines which were geared toward races and race times and race readiness, it all kind of came together. Running in the heat and humidity of summertime in FL is really not fun. It's not. It's probably what defines me as an official "runner" more than anything else I do - more than the medals or the repeats or the drawer full of tempo shorts. In two months racing season will begin again and I will not regret one single summertime run I've endured the past three months. When I ascend those two Clearwater bridges in a few months I'll be able to remember that August summer day when I sweated through the effort and even ran 3 additional miles over the half-marathon distance, and the race will be that much easier. When the marathon starting gun goes off on a misty October morning on the other side of the United States, I'll be grateful that the mist is sea fog and not the rolls of humidity we ran through. When my repeat times suddenly take a nose-dive, I'll be able to thank the weeks I spent on asphalt that had baked all day in the summer heat.

So I decided this morning it's okay to hate running in the summer. I love it enough to stay loyal and dedicated. Running and I can get through the hard times because I know there are some great times ahead, and that running and I will be better for what we've endured together. Running and I are in this for the long haul, and my affection for it will ebb and flow, but after 5 years of subscribing to Runner's World, it's pretty safe to say I'm here to stay.

Changes

2010-08-19T10:47:00.004-04:00

I logged on to see that this will only be my second post in August, and it's already the 19th. If I take a blogger hiatus, it usually means I am disenchanted with running or not running at all. Neither is the case.

This time the reason is that there have been some changes occurring in our household which have disrupted our routines, our family dynamic and my thinking to some extent. The blessing is that they are wonderful changes, but all change brings about a level of stress.

The first major change is that I quit my job - kinda. I actually scaled my hours way back to one morning a week and special projects. Chuck and I decided that not that the twins have entered high school, and these next four years being so vital to them, that I really needed to keep my eye on the ball. Their entering high school has really done a number on me. I feel old, which is something I don't really care about for myself (I am the one planning her own surprise 40th birthday party and counting down the months (14.5)). I feel like they feel like I can't relate to them. I keep hearing "You don't understand!" Part of me is screaming, "But I do, I do! I was in high school, like, 5 years ago!!" (even though my 20th reunion was last month) but the other part of me is saying, "You are so right - you live in such a different world!" It's such a strange sensation - I could not relate to them as middle schoolers, but I understand high school. I remember high school. High school is important on so many different levels. I want them to have a great experience. I want them to survive it. I want them to not make any choices that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. As I say to them, I don't care if you grow up to dig ditches, but I want it because you chose to dig ditches, not because you have to dig ditches. I don't want to live vicariously through them; high school was fun for me but not the best part of my life, but at the same time I want to be involved.

Meanwhile, I've decided to go back to school, myself. That might sound counterproductive to my purpose in "quitting" my job, but in fact I think it will enhance the "we're all in this together" mentality of my four students PLUS myself. My intention is to become an athletic trainer (ATC). I will be getting my AA from a local community college and God willing, entering the ATC program at USF. This is one of Jonathan's two choices for school, so the family joke is who will graduate first? I'm likely starting from scratch (awaiting transcripts from my five minutes at UNC-C) so I'm going to put my money on him. :)

So the past two and a half weeks have been about finishing out my work schedule, running kids around, gathering school supplies, and yes, running. The Daily Mile gadget keeps my blog up to date, and my weekday runs have been rather nondescript - speedwork Tuesdays, or hills Friday, boot camp runs to fill in some mileage.

Sundays have been something else, though. On the 8th, Carin and I were scheduled for 18 miles, having done 16 the week before. We had a hint that we shouldn't head out by the fact that my headlamp - which finding had made me a little late - was burned out. We start our long runs at 5:15 on a dark and unlit trail alongside a preserve, so this was not good. A tiny sliver of moon reflected off of deep puddles that we'd see almost too late to dodge. And then we began to see some lightning. Dark billowing ominous clouds gathered all around us and the lightning got so bad that the brightness of it was blinding. About 3 miles in I could smell the positive ions in the air and the stiff humidity broke and the winds picked up. We were starting to get nervous - we were 2 miles away from where we'd find shelter and friends, and the storms were moving in at an unbelievable speed. Just in time, Jodi and Jenny called my ever-present cell and said they were scared for us, and coming to find us. We scrambled into the car of our rescuers and debated what to do, finally calling it quits.

I was restless all morning with only 1/4 of my long run done, so Chuck told me to change back into my running clothes and he accompanied me by bike on a drizzly, hot, tedious 9-miler. 13.5, I decided, was better than 4.5 --- or none.

That was my lead-in for the 20-miler, the run I dread the most. I began to dread the run as soon as my Tuesday speedwork was done, and hated any reference to the upcoming weekend. Leslie (Ma'am) took me up on my invitation to join us Sunday morning and I started to feel relieved. This was Carin's first 20-miler and I knew Ma'am's perpetual good cheer and encouragement would be the perfect anecdote to my foul attitude about the whole thing.

At mile 3.5, I had rearranged my brain a bit. I jokingly said, "HEY! I don't have a 20-miler to run today - I think I'll do 16 and a half!" Ma'am bit and said, "Slacker!" and from that point on, I was f.i.n.e. We met Jenny and Jamie and Cherise about mile 5, ran out five with them and back, saw some friends along the trail, then ran the five back to the car. Easy peasy - just had to endure about 20 minutes of blazing sun but it was not the epic event I had been dreading.

Dare I say it?

It was fun.

It helped tremendously that Chuck had brought his bike and visited us often with ice cold water and icy towels and Gus. It helped that there were people everywhere - people we liked and were happy to see, and people who scared us like the three teens with maniacal laughs, an unleashed dog and an AX!, but I think that it helped most that I leapfrogged my discontent and just did it.

One of the best parts of a 20-miler is the cut-back week that follows it. I've planned my weekend like a sailor on shore leave. Tomorrow we run the hills and Sunday sleep waaaay in and run a mere 7 miles.

Life is good.

Week in Review

2010-08-01T11:40:00.002-04:00

Somehow I pulled 28 miles out of the week, not really sure how. The only three runs that are non-negotiable are my speedwork Tuesdays, hills with the girls on Fridays, and my Sunday long run. I guess I make up the difference at boot camp. Well, I know I do, but given that I really only have three dedicated running days a week it always surprises me when my miles add up. I should add in one more day of an easy run of moderate length and I probably will.

Life right now is in a bit of an upheaval with some changes in the works - I've cut my work hours back to only one day a week and enrolled in school, though I'm not sure when I'll start. In two weeks my older sons will be entering high school and I suspect that will feel like a part time job in and of itself, as we help them find their footing in the next four years. I don't do change well - even good change - and it'll take me a while to settle back in to my new life and get a new routine down pat, and I hope to add in an extra day of running to the mix. A mid-morning run will force me in and on the treadmill, which I think is better for my foot overall.

Speedwork Tuesday went fairly well - I can feel the heat and humidity making it SO much harder, but yes, we WILL be better for it come fall.

Friday Carin, Cherise and I met for what was supposed to be a 5-mile run but ended up being a 6-miler when hills sprints at the end were taken into account. This has been the week where the heat and humidity have peaked as far as I am concerned, so this was also a tough run. It's discouraging to be perfectly capable of doing a run, but external forces - such as nasty oppressing weather - hold you back.

This morning we had 16 miles on the schedule, and crafted a plan which allowed us to leave earlier than normal to avoid most of the heat of the day. This is all just smoke and mirrors because honestly, there hasn't been a cool point of any day this summer. My car thermometer read 83 sopping degrees. There was humidity dripping from the eves of my house. And it was 5 o'clock in the morning.

Our route got us to the park entrance at 6am where we met Cherise and Jodi. Our route also meant that we didn't spend much time in the park which was fine with me; I'm getting a little tired of that route, so mixing it up a bit has kept this training schedule a little fresher for me. After 3 miles in we turned around and headed back. I felt awesome, even though the it was so humid that my shorts were sagging from the humidity and sweat they had absorbed. At mile 12 I said that if I had a fresh set of clothes I could probably run forever. At mile 14 I knew fresh shorts or not, 2 miles was all I had left in me.

When our Garmins beeped 16 miles done we had high-fives for Carin, who had run the longest she'd ever run this morning. I had dropped 8 bottles of water along the route and we drank it all. Today's weather was truly some of the most difficult I've run in to date. When I got home I weighed my soaked shorts (Nike Tempo shorts) just to see - they were carrying just under two pounds of moisture. YUCK!

Injured - Coming Back From Hiatus

2010-07-27T21:56:00.003-04:00

I took advantage of the cut-back week to not run at all and concentrate on healing my foot, which is experiencing what I call a plantar fasciitis "flare". There could be many contributing factors, even something as innocuous as my shoe laces (which I've switched to Yanks and will switch back to real laces tonight).

I resumed my routine yesterday with boot camp (which I only took one day off of for my foot), and swimming yesterday, boot camp and speedwork tonight. I will report on those workouts tomorrow. I am feeling better but I know to take it easy, too.

"Soupy" Speedwork

2010-07-20T21:44:00.005-04:00

On the way to boot camp this morning the weather reporter said that the high would be [something ungodly] and the humidity would be [something ungodly] and the chance of rain 30%. To the armchair meteorologist - as I imagine myself to be - this meant one thing: YUCK!!

I told Ma'am I'd like a modified speed workout, please. Together we hammered out a plan I hoped I remembered correctly which was a pyramid ... 2x100, 2x200, 2x400, 2x200 and 4x100. The deal was that we needed to do one warm-up mile and one cool down mile.

It thundered just as I pulled in and we hurried to our marked trail.I gave them the scoop - we were going to take heed of the weather and do shorter intervals, but we also needed to do 1 mile runs on either end. One thing I request of the group is that they commit to the workout or any modification of the workout while heartrates are down and before fatigue sets in. To me this is the strongest component to speedwork as a team - we are all in this together, we have all agreed to stay in this together, and the feeling that you've committed should help you continue to go even when all systems are screaming "STOP!" Those who felt the workout was a bit ambitious stated their own goals, and off we went.

Though it was extraordinarily unpleasant weather-wise, the varied distances kept our attention. It was refreshing to go to a 200 after having run a set of 400s. At the end I suggested that we take a very very VERY short recovery between the 100s to kind of bring it all home.

The mile cool down was awful for me - I was ready to vomit from the heat and exertion. It WAS a cool down, and we took full advantage with several of us walking 3/4s of the mile.

I felt pretty good throughout most of the intervals, except the 100s. I can't seem to get my legs to be Road Runner-like.

In fact, my exertion level is about that of a stroll in the mall. Well, actually, maybe a stroll through Best Buy because my heartrate is elevated a little. The 4 quick 100s did rectify THAT problem!

The nitty-gritty:

100s - :23, 21

200s - :47, :49

400s - 1:44, 1:45

200s - :48, :48

100s - :22, :23, :24, :23

I don't even know if that is good or not, LOL. I just know I'm happy to have survived it.

On a side note, there's this great guy who is fairly new to running who comes to our workouts. He totally cracks me up because EVERY.SINGLE.TUESDAY he'll say, "This is good, right? When it gets cooler we'll be even better, right?" He asked it tonight and I jokingly interjected, "The party line is YES. We will all be faster. We will all WIN 5ks come Fall because of the work we are doing in July!" What's funny to me (besides the fact that he's just funny anyway) is that he's only verbalizing what we are all counting on. Speedwork in the soup HAS to translate to really strong numbers come fall, right??!

My Running Buddies

2010-07-20T09:54:00.005-04:00

I just read this post from B.O.B. I giggled through the whole thing because I could relate to every one, except this one:

9. When you absolutely have to go #1 or 2 ..., your running friend will make sure the coast is clear. "Keep it moving people, nothing to see here."

She has nicer running partners than me*; mine keep moving on and I have to run really fast and catch up. I will say: It makes you really evaluate how badly you have to go. Kinda like when you were on a road trip with the family back in the day and you just passed a rest stop because you were at a critical point in your Judy Blume book AND you have a dad who is "trying to make good time." It becomes a quandary.

Seriously, though.... if mine stopped and waited for me our Sunday long runs would go clear into Monday. This is truly the better way.

One thing about my group - they can organize a run like it's a precise military maneuver. Carin and I had 14 on our marathon training schedule and Jenny is tapering, and Jamie is up for anything. Jenny came up with a plan that Carin and I should park 5 miles from the park, meet them in the bike trail parking lot for water and provisions (and a possible wardrobe change for me) and head out for our remaining 9 miles. The water was critical; our park's water coolers haven't been filled in recent weeks, and with the heat and humidity reaching the summer peak, we needed to have a plan in place to hydrate and refill our fuel belts. Honestly, it would have taken 2 weeks, a few visits to MapMyRun.com and a whole lot of math for me to come up with this plan. This is why I like Jenny in charge - she tells us what to do and we do it. And it works.

Carin and I agreed we'd be hitting the pavement at 5:30 sharp and we did. I wore an Eddie Bauer headlamp I'd purchased on a whim in Chicago and it was brilliant in more ways than one. The down side is that its bright light in the dark dark brought about moths, and I ate one. Yuck.

We kept a good and near precise pace until we hit the park, met Jenny and Jamie, refilled, refueled and headed back out. There were a LOT of people on the trail including friends who usually run Saturday. We only got to run with them for about 3/4s of a mile though because before we knew it, it was turn-around time!

I *loved* the "broken" aspect of the run - the run TO the park, and then only having to go out about 4.25 miles on the trail before turning back. It made it seem like two mid-length runs rather than one looonng one. I almost think I liked getting up at 5:00 and getting started early, though I might have vehemently denied that at 5am on Sunday.

One summer marathon run in the bag. It's already a cut-back week, too - what's up with that? That seems kind of soon but it works out well because we'll all be far flung this weekend and wouldn't be able to get together for a long run anyway. The 20s are clicking closer, but I am more ready than ever this round. It helps that I have great running buddies to log the miles with.

*just for clarification, my running friends are awesome, even if they don't direct trail traffic for me...

Speedwork: Fail

2010-07-13T21:03:00.004-04:00

Tonight's speedwork showed me that I am, truly, tired.

I forgot my Garmin, but a call to Ma'am rectified that problem: She left me a watch to use. You can't really do speedwork without some kind of timing device, but I might as well have.

We were supposed to be doing 4x800 and 4x200. I knew after the warm-up I'd be lucky if I had 2 800s in me. A couple of us decided to modify the prescribed workout to sub out the last 2 800s for 400s. I thought I might do 4 400s just to make up the difference, but I couldn't.

My 1st 800 was 3:46. My second one was 4:12

My 400s were 1:48, and 3 1:46s.

The 200s were in the :40s. I could tell by how low my heartrate was that I wasn't going my hardest, but my legs wouldn't let me. I was done.

I counted it up in the shower and I've done 12 solid workouts since last Monday, July 5th, with only one day of rest. I've given 100% nearly the entire workout, each one. My body told me tonight that yes, there is such a thing as too much.

I will go to bootcamp tomorrow, give it my all, and then sit my butt right down tomorrow night and read a magazine while my kids practice football. It'll be hard to do with the track just behind me, the master's swim class a few yards to my left, and the fun tap house run just a 20 minute drive away, but it needs to be done before I end up injured. It's very upsetting to have such a great week of running last week turn into as craptastic a week as this one, but it happens.

Sunday Long (long long long) Run and Monday Swim (plus a little run in between!)

2010-07-13T12:35:00.005-04:00

Thank goodness I had good company on Sunday's long run otherwise I don't even know that I would have finished!! It seems like it was hotter and more humid than any run we've done recently and it really wore me down.

We decided to skip our usual park and run in the neighborhood instead. Several factors came into play:

1) Jenny was going to take it easy due to a back issue and was going to stick to running in our neighborhood. We decided we'd rather run with her than without her.

2) Ongoing budgetary issues at our usual park have left our water coolers high and dry. The neighborhood route includes several cold water spots and - bonus! - actual porcelain potties (with doors!)

3) We could sleep in just that much longer - always a good thing.

Carin, Cherise and I headed out to do a few miles before "picking up" Jenny at 6:30. We were able to manage 2-ish by the time we got to her, and headed into a gated community (with ICE and water and bathrooms) for the bulk of the miles. I thought that the unusual route with different stuff to look at would make the run more entertaining, but instead it became tedious trying to piece together 12 miles. In addition, either what I ate Saturday night OR the water belt OR both was causing my stomach to be upset. We walked a little, stopped a lot (well, a lot more than usual) and just trudged along until we finally got 12 miles done. Cherise and Jenny joined us for about 4 of those miles, but mainly it was just Carin and me. As mentioned, I appreciate that she's great company and fun to talk to, or I swear I would have hung up my water belt about 7 miles in and called it good.

Monday my alarm rang at its usual time of 5am and I was so exhausted I was disoriented for a bit. I couldn't remember why the alarm was set, what day it was, or where I was supposed to be. If I wasn't going for perfect attendance, yesterday would have been the perfect day to dismiss the alarm and head back to sleep. Instead I got up and headed to boot camp, where we got a great lower-body workout, including a mile and a half or so of running.

Though I wanted to swim last night, I was a little scared to, because I was so exhausted I was worried it might be dangerous. There are lifeguards and I know my limits, so after a 20-minute nap, and after settling the kids in for football and cheer practice, I walked over to the Y for the master's swim class. We did a warm-up and some drills. Another classmate and I did a drill on a couple of 25s: Time your swim for the first 25 while counting your strokes. The second 25 is supposed to comprise of fewer strokes, and you use your time to determine whether or not fewer strokes made you more efficient (faster). My first 25 was 25 strokes in 25 seconds. My second 25 was 21 strokes in 22 seconds. Obviously I need to work on my technique.

Then when we were doing some sprint 50s, where you swim a 50 in (supposedly) under a minute and rest for the remainder of the minute (lather, rinse, repeat up to 10 times) -- I could only do ONE 50 in under a minute. The coach and I were puzzled. How could I do a 50 in essentially 47 minutes and not do a sprint 50 in either less or about the same?

In my heart I knew it was partially my "mental thing" and she also advised it was my technique - which is one and the same. When I am trying to sprint, I change my stroke completely, becoming far less efficient, slower and tiring myself out. I try too hard.

I was pretty excited to figure this out - especially once she adjusted my stroke and sure enough, I started coming in at 51-52 seconds, rather than 1:01-1:02. We were both very excited but I was excited about something else: Was that the answer to it all? Am I missing my times and not getting faster because I adjust my technique (running, too) and, essentially "try too hard"? I'm thinking about how when I am running speedwork or a race or even the 1-mile PT test I feel like I am stomping my feet into the ground - and I am worn out before I can finish, no matter the distance.

Speedwork tonight - I'm going to practice not trying too hard to see if that makes a difference.

Week in Review

2010-07-09T15:57:00.003-04:00

With a handy-dandy new widget on the side of my blog, summing up my runs in 10 words or less (quite the feat for me!), it seems rather redundant at this point to write a whole thesis on my little runs during the week. But still, it was a good week, and I have more to say that that DailyMile widget allows!!

MONDAY: 1st day of July bootcamp. I had 1000001 reasons why I could have skipped. First, it was kinda sorta a holiday. Second, I had been out late the night before, after an all-day party. Third, it was raining. Fourth, my bootcamp buddy Kristine (aka She-ra) wasn't going to be there, and being the kinda sorta holiday rainy morning that it was, I wondered if anyone would be there. But I had promised myself that this month WOULD BE the Perfect Attendance month, and why not start out in the most adverse of conditions? Furthermore, though I knew Ma'am wasn't going to be there, I knew her sub would give us an excellent workout. Even if it was just he and I, I'd be able to put a check by my name for that day. It ended up that the class was pretty darn full, and the workout wasn't a typical first-day-of-the-session workout (hooah!). AND, we didn't have to run since it was raining. Since I wasn't in the mood to run, this was a good thing, though we did quite a bit of jogging in place...
TUESDAY: Got to class, still no Ma'am, but the same sub was there. Another great - advanced - workout. Thank goodness, because a solid storm rolled through JUST as I was going to leave for speedwork, and we had to cancel it. We rescheduled for Thursday.
WEDNESDAY: Ma'am is back, and ready to hand out PT tests. I aimed for - and got - 45 pushups, 2 up from last week's. Only 3 more than last week's sit-ups; I might have to admit defeat there. I can only do so many in a minute! My abs don't give up, but I don't have the speed it takes to crank out more. The big victory? I finally broke the 7:30 mile with a 7:11!! I was so over the moon! Like Jenny on Saturday, McSpeedy She-ra told me she was going to pace me in for the sub 7:30. Like Jenny, she felt like if I could do a 7:34 first mile as part of a 5k, not doing it for the test was ridiculous. So she became - jokingly - "One Mile Jenny" on Tuesday. The only thing is .... I felt really good the WHOLE time (well, as good as you can running as fast as you can!) and she didn't have to yell at me or push me (literally or figuratively). She did coach and guide me, though, and stuck beside me, so I definitely have to give her credit on getting me through it without giving up! Problem: She wants us to go below 7 in three weeks. Holy...
THURSDAY: Bootcamp in the morning, including accels and decels using lampposts as a guide. I loved this exercise - I always do. I feel like it's a great way to learn how to control running better. Then my weekly Thursday weight-training "date" with my best friend at 9. I was a little concerned that doing this before speedwork might have been a bit detrimental, and it may very well have been. My level of effort did not match the numbers on my Garmin when we did the make-up speedwork on Thursday evening. I didn't hurt, I just didn't punch out the numbers I thought I would given the next level of speed I seem to finally be achieving. Maybe it was because I didn't have Jenny and One Mile Jenny there to push me through them... As it was, my numbers were right on par with the numbers I've been posting in recent speed workouts. Not bad, but not any faster, either.
FRIDAY: Since Carin and I both did our speed workouts last night, she and I decided to give ourselves a break and meet near my (flat) neighborhood for the 5 miles on our schedule, rather than the 6+miles of hills we typically do on Fridays. Jamie met us, and we had a nice comfortable run on a route that offers water fountains and real potties. A treat! It was a great, great run - one of those that really reinforces running as a pleasurable, renewing activity.

NUTRITION UPDATE: As promised, I started eating better this week. Monday I did okay, but Tuesday I fell of the wagon a little bit. The rain messed up our dinner plans, so we ordered pizza, and I was starving so I ate a lot of it. I am trying to do this in baby steps, though, so I don't feel like I'm trying to overhaul a bunch at one time and get myself burned out and irritable. This week's focus was proper nutrition before, during and after workouts, and incorporating more fruits and vegetables. I also included GOOD red wine (which is self-limiting for me since it lulls me to sleep). Good red wine is rich and full of flavor, so just a little does the trick of feeling indulged. Plus the greenbean book Ma'am read said that a glass of wine with dinner is a-okay.

I am cheating on the workout nutrition by using Gatorade's G-series products. I eat 1/2 to 1 full bar ("prime") on the way to bootcamp or my run. (I did not this morning, however; I did not give myself enough time). I do not drink Gatorade while working out because it bothers my stomach, so I drank HEED. My kids and I have discovered that melon is the best, most subtle and most thirst-quenching flavor of this, just FYI. I also found out my local bike shop robbed me blind my last can of powder; I paid $30 there and just $18 at Fit2Run!! (Grrr.) After the workout, I am drinking 1/2 a bottle of the Gatorade with protein ("recover"). It tastes a little like a melted Crystal Light Slurpee, which contrary to what you might think, is NOT a good thing. It's pretty tart and way sweet all at once. But it's the best way to get protein in that I've discovered, since I don't want a shake or milk after a workout, and a lot of times I don'twant to eat. And 1/2 a bottle is okay to gag down - if you are thirsty enough it actually isn't too bad. The serving size is 1/2 a bottle so that's why I'm splitting this between workouts.

I bought 3 pounds of cherries and some raw veggies and I've been munching on those rather than chips or other (bad) snack-y things. I also bought the Lance pre-packaged peanuts (they are teeny tiny) for when I need just a bit of salty protein.

So far so good. My scale is broken so I don't know if I've lost or not, but I do feel a lot better and like I am on the right track.

All told, this was a GREAT week - I'm feeling like I got bit good with the training bug, and I'm ready to GO! It's been encouraging to see progress this week not just once (at the 5k) but twice!

Lutz Independence Day 5k Race Report

2010-07-03T11:41:00.002-04:00

New PR (I think): 24:36 (we think - that's what the clock said, but Jenny had 24:34 on her Garmin, and the results aren't posted. So it could change by a degree or two).

I think it's a new PR - 6 or so years ago when I only did 5ks and didn't really keep a journal of what I did and didn't do, I might have been faster. There are some races I have done that I can't find online or have forgotten about. But since I began keeping records, this is my fastest 5k time.

That disclaimer aside: The stars were all aligned for a PR. It would have been very hard to come up with good excuses to not achieve my goal. That's both bad news and good news, when you have put a lot of eggs in one race basket.

3 weeks ago when I got my 25:15 I asked Jenny if she'd pace me in for a sub-25. She had today open already to race, because she was trying to place in her Lucy outfit to get a new outfit. Since she did that at the RAP River Run, she was all set.

When I got home today I realized there was really not any person in the whole world who could have helped me do this. No one else would have comfortably hassled me through the last mile as she did, as when it comes to being obstinate, I am a worthy opponent. Although it really sucked there for about 9 minutes, she taught me a lot and I got a new insight into why she has so successfully posted PR after PR and gotten faster and faster. It was a good insight into the mental game, which I've acknowledged again and again is my weakness.

I ate well last night, got to bed early, picked out a great playlist, got a great night's sleep. I walked Molly and rejoiced in the weather: Not ideal Independence Day weather but darn near perfect summer 5k weather, as KC predicted yesterday. It even sprinkled some over the race.

I was nervous because I knew I was signing up for some hurt, but I wasn't so nervous it was zapping me. Just a nice healthy rush of adrenaline.

I lined up in front of Jenny, so I didn't have to chase her to catch up to my pace, which we had agreed during our warm-up is difficult and demoralizing. I settled into what felt like a very comfortable pace. I could tell my pace was upsetting Jenny but I could not figure out why, until she started warning me to back off. Back off? That didn't seem right. At the 1-mile mark I heard the timer calling off thirties. I thought, Crap, that's not good - that's either 8 thirties or 7 thirties - too slow or too fast. He called 7:34 as I ran by. Too fast. I said, "I wish I hadn't heard that" and I think Jenny nodded.

We agreed that I wouldn't stop for water, so Jenny grabbed cups and origami-ed them into neat little spouts, and told me to get what I could from them. This was more mental than refreshing, just to keep from feeling like I was dying of thirst, but not using it as an excuse to stop or slow down. I kept feeling good - I knew it was a there and back course and because people were heading back, I knew we were close to the turn. I couldn't believe how good I felt and even started wondering if I was selling myself short looking for the 25 minute 5k! Maybe I should try for even faster!!!

That feeling lasted until about mile 1.75, when I absolutely CRASHED mentally. I don't know what did it, but I had no thoughts that I could continue this effort for another mile+. I started chanting my "I can't"s. I started begging to walk. Jenny had already told me that walking wasn't allowed but I have a strategy - I can walk and lower my heart rate and start back faster than before!

Jenny kept on pace and I did stop and walk for a bit, but then I would see the distance between her and me opening up and I knew I had to sprint that, so my strategy was falling apart before my very eyes. We had backed off the pace at my request but my heartrate wasn't calming; Jenny told me it takes a few minutes to feel the slower pace and to be patient. Hmmm... lesson there for next time. When I back off pace usually I don't feel any better immediately, and that's when I decide to walk....

Jenny probably doesn't want me to write this because it sounds really bad in writing (or even just telling it) but the last 800-400 Jenny literally pushed me when I tried to walk. I was so ready to give up and would start to stop, and she put her hand on my back and said, "Nope! Keep going!" Though she wasn't actually PUSHING me, that cue to my brain really worked. My feet would and could not slow down with her literally keeping me on pace.

That's probably the biggest lesson I learned today - honestly, there is nothing physical preventing me from doing this, maybe even faster. It is all from the neck up. I never hurt, I was never terribly winded, I was just full of "I can't"s. I actually could not stop saying, "I can't do this" even when Jenny told me to stop it.

With .1 to go, Jenny said, "You have one minute." I kinda wondered even then if I could do it. How long does it take to walk .1? But then I realized if I wanted to get this hell over I had to just go for it, and so I did. I had not worn the Garmin, and Jenny would NOT give me my numbers, so the first time I knew for certain that I had done it - and not just barely, either! - was when I saw the time clock. I didn't even have the energy to be elated - I was thirsty and a little on the verge of being puke-y.

Next we lined up for the 1-miler. This is Gregory's foray back into racing, after his broken heel disaster of the past couple of years. This child really wants to race, but his body was really not letting him. He had wanted to do the 5k but I'm trying to build him in gradually. Jenny agreed to pace Emily for the 1-miler (she'd sworn this 5k off in last year's heat) and I told Gregory I'd stick with him. He was full of vim and vigor at first, talking smack and wasting a lot of energy talking and goofing around. Then about a third in, he started feeling the effort. He kept asking to walk. I was all Jenny-like at that point and said, "Um. Nope." so absolute that the people around us laughed. The half-mile turn around was not discernible but Emily and Jenny pointed it out on the way back. We turned and headed back. By then G was really in a bad way, so I let him walk, and showed him how to catch his breath. The last .2 is a bit of a hill and he saw that and said, "What! A hill!" I said, "It's a slope, Gegs, you can do this." He really had a hard time up that hill. With .1 to go I said, "Okay, Gregory, 100 yards left. You are Peyton Manning and you have the ball and you are going for a touchdown." He said, "Duh, Peyton wouldn't be running in for a touchdown." I said, "Okay then who are you?" He said, "Addai". I said, "Okay, you are Joseph Addai and I am a Saint." THE BOY TOOK OFF. I have seriously never seen him *ever* run so fast in all of his 12 years. I was so excited I finished with him, something the race directors asked us expressly not to do.

Emily ended up winning the 1-mile overall, and Gregory took the 12YO division.

Missions accomplished.

Nutrition and Marathoning

2010-07-02T14:24:00.002-04:00

If you know me even just a little, you know I eat like a fraternity boy.

My first big downfall is beer. I'm not kidding when I say that if there was some sort of prohibition on beer but no other alcohol (with one exception, to follow) I'd be a teetotaler. The one exception is good red wine. I'd probably still be a teetotaler because wine makes me mean as hell. So though I'd happily sip my yummy red wine, I'd have no friends and probably no husband, and who wants that? If they could come up with a good non-alcoholic beer that actually tasted like beer that would replace my morning coffee. Beer is awesome.

I've been trying to compose this post and trying to figure out what the heck is wrong with me that I can't eat better. I think part of it is that I feel like when I work out as much as I do I deserve to be able to eat whatever I want. To some extent I do. I can get by with eating like a frat boy (chips, dips, Mexican food, dripping greasy burgers, pizza, fried okra (yum!), etc. etc.) because of all of the exercising that I do. I'm not as big as a house, but I'm no skinny minnie, either. In fact, it can be said that I am fat - not mainstream America fat but fat for an athlete. Like REALLY fat for an athlete. I saw the pictures of myself in that unforgiving triathlon get-up and I looked like absolute hell. I know how to buy clothes that hide it well but the truth is, when you get right down to it, I should look better for all I do. I jokingly say I outrun my eating - but it's gaining on me.

I started this blog not to brag about how many miles I'd done or what my per-minute pace or splits were. I actually started this particular blog when Jenny and I started running together on Sundays. We didn't communicate during the week, and I felt like I should have accountability for the running that I did during the week so when we convened for our long runs on Sunday, she could see that I had made effort to be prepared for the long run. It was the first year I'd run outside during the summer, and it was taking some adjustment. I felt like by reporting in on the workouts I'd done during the week, she'd know as my new running partner that I was putting in an effort to be fully prepared to do the work come Sunday morning.

I had had a blog prior (linked on the sidebar) that I checked in with as I trained for my first marathon. As this blog evolved so did the blogging community, and it became about accountability, communication and connection. In other words, it continued to be about me, but it was about me as a community member - my community of running partners, of local runners, and runners throughout the world.

So though it's multifaceted, it's original purpose stands steadfast: That I use it as a tool to keep me on task and honest, to be inspirational to my future self and to whomever might learn something from it (as I learn from others). It doesn't hurt that I discovered my daughter is a regular reader...

On July 5th I will make a big change. I will start eating like a grown-up. I will not diet; I do not think that is prudent. I will use intuitive eating with Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners as my blueprint. It will not be a regimented eating plan, but rather a concerted effort to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables, less "hiding" them with fats and oils and all kinds of other deliciousness, more water and less beer. In other words, I'm going to eat like an athlete. I am going to eat for fuel, and stop eating for fun.

It's interesting, because as I was mulling this over - the start date, the plan, the new mindset and whether or not to post this here - I remembered that the 4th of July was the start date of my first "transformation". I was at an Independence Day picnic, and wholly uncomfortable in my skin. I was very overweight - the heaviest I'd ever been in my life, save the 8th month of my twin pregnancy. Emily was walking, so baby fat was no longer an excuse. I had read Body For Life and it had resonated with me. I was eating a heaping plate of Alfredo and feeling like shit. I felt awful from the inside out. On July 5th, I started Atkins and began the journey that would lead me to being 60 pounds lighter and - for the first time in my life - an athlete. That was 8 years ago and I am ready to do it again.

It is my intention, as I write here about my training for the Nike Women's Marathon on October 17, that I also report in on how I am doing nutritionally as well. I will be candid about how it's going. I will be interested to see if it's true that what I eat can impact my performance. It seems rather logical that it should, don't you think? Yet somehow I seem to prefer to believe that it doesn't.

I'll be back tomorrow with a 5k race report and hopefully a shiny brand-new PR.

Gadget Girl Changes Her Mind

2010-06-30T18:01:00.006-04:00

*sigh*

This is how it went down.

I had printed out my handy-dandy calendars, as I have for five and a half years now, numbering my weeks and writing in my long runs because let's face it: Though endurance is my strength, I'm still a little weak-kneed when I see the jumbo mileage prescribed for me to make that 26.2 mile trek in 16 weeks. I always start with that - plugging in Sunday's long-run numbers at the expected speed (which always seems awfully slow until you are out there doing it).

Just out of the chute, going by the Run Less, Run Faster plan, I was looking at 13 this week, 15 next week, 17 the following and by the end of July, my first (of many!) 20 miler.

That wasn't looking so appealing. Suddenly a 4-day running schedule was a looking a little better...

So for the heck of it, I plugged in www.runnersworld.com and directed my browser to SmartCoach. As soon as I logged in I saw it:

"Coming soon: the SmartCoach app"

Um. What?!?!?

I snatched the omnipresent iTouch up off my desk and went on a search. It isn't "coming soon" anymore. It's real... and it's spectacular.

I downloaded the app at the introductory half-price cost of 99c and fell madly in love.

To be fair, I searched for a Run Less, Run Faster app. No results found.

But what about Fiona? And my new reversible TYR swimsuit (which looks really crappy on me but I looooove anyway because it feels so official) and my swim cap and my goggles? What about TRIing? What about my cute-as-crap "RUN" "BIKE" "SWIM" bags (I'll have to post a picture in the near future because they are about as creative as Kathryn gets, and to be completely honest took input from 3 of my 4 children to accomplish)?

SmartCoach has two beautiful letters in its training plan: XT. CROSS TRAIN. So rather than rest, I will do exactly that. I will XT! In marathons past I always chose option 1 (REST) and ignored those two letters on the other side of the forward slash. This time, I will not.

Let me say this: I do believe that RL, RF has a place in my training life, and I think I'll be using it for half-mary training once I have my Tiffany necklace. Conceptually, I see a lot of value. I better, as I've been extolling its virtues ever since it seduced me with its 3 day a week training plans and promises to go ahead and let me swim and bike and call it marathon training. But then along came Runner's World and its cute little app...

Today the app says ... REST! But I didn't. I went to boot camp and surprised the hell out of myself by doing 43 DECENT pushups in 1 minute, up from 31 earlier in the month. I added a measly 3 sit-ups to my previous 25. Yesterday I slept through the 1-miler which is a shame because I hear there was magic all around and records shattered left and right.

Speaking of records: The time has come that I break 25 minutes once and for all as the Beast and the Harlot take to the streets of Lutz for their annual 4th of July 5k run. Jenny has agreed to pace me in. I'm already working on my game face and meditation. I'm actually thinking of leaving Gertrude (Gary the Garmin's replacement) home or maybe just with Chuck. It's just 8 minutes flat for 3.1 miles, I can do that, right?

RIGHT?!?!

P.S. - Hurry over to ShutUpandRun's blog to sign up for a giveaway from Silvermaple.com- this jewelry is BEAUTIFUL!!!! http://twentysixpointtwoormore.blogspot.com/2010/06/giveaway.html

Fall Marathon Madness!

2010-06-29T22:02:00.003-04:00

It's here, it's here!

16 weeks to go until the October marathons and guess what? That means me, too!

I'm reading my fellow bloggers' blogs and seeing them getting all excited about their marathons and here I am in total and absolute denial. There are 16-milers and 18-milers and 20-milers in my immediate future! There's a schedule, and prescribed speedwork and a count down in my immediate future! I need to get on the stick!

What I need to do is WRITE DOWN my schedule and then it's just a matter of doing what it says. A piece of paper - pieces of paper neatly stapled together - becomes a Ma'am of sorts. You don't think, you don't argue (much), you just do...

As mentioned, I am going to do the Run Less, Run Faster program. It's a little intimidating. With only 3 run days, the runs are pretty intense. But the other two are swim/bike days and that fits nicely into my new relationship with all things triathlon. This will allow me to take little mini-detours to any upcoming triathlon races and be perfectly equipped to do so. I like this idea.

My runs lately have been rote. Nothing special, nothing spectacular, nothing to write home about. I had speedwork tonight and did consistently better than I have previous weeks. As marathon training officially starts for me this week, here are my numbers:

2x800 - 3:33, 3:35

4x400 - 1:42, 1:42, 1:45, 1:42

There were storms literally swarming the trail where we run, and the atmosphere was so still it was hard to breathe. When these Florida storms prepare for their onslaught the air becomes very, very still and extraordinarily humid. Tonight was no exception. During the 3rd 400 rain cooled air began to infiltrate, and almost immediately upon finishing the skies opened up. We were very lucky. After a scrapped swim last night due to weather, I was happy we were able to get the full workout in and return safely to the Y building before the bad weather arrived.

Children's Memorial Hospital Race for the Kids 5k Race Report (Chicago race)

2010-06-23T08:02:00.009-04:00

I haven't posted in over a week, but I wanted to get this race report put up before I do a week+ in review. The rest of my running is fairly boring and predictable. As appears the case with many bloggers, I am spending time doing other stuff and blogging has taken a back seat. I think the case is that whether you are a student or raising students, the onset of summer means a shift in routine; days are longer, there are holidays and trips and activities that take center stage. Even in Florida, where summer is our winter (harsh!), staying inside when it's bright daylight at 8pm feels like squandering time.

With my long-standing goal of a sub-25 seemingly in solid reach, I decided to sign up for a 5k while I was already in Chicago on business (Chuck's business, LOL). It seemed ideal - flat, beautiful views, cooler weather with less humidity. Why not?

I signed up for the race and called the race director with a few questions, which were answered cheerfully. How do I get there? What should I expect? What's the weather looking like? They were happily expecting one of the warmest weekends in recent memory. We're talking with temperatures soaring to the high 90s. Figures. I've been to Chicago in June before, and it was a chilly wet mess. They could have the wet mess, but I was counting on chilly. The upside was that at $25 per bag each way as charged by our airline, Chuck's and my summer clothing could fit in one suitcase easily enough. I wouldn't need fifty thousand stay-warm layers to get me through the run OR my weekend.

The night before the race we went to a business-sponsored "dinner" which consisted of tapas, pizza and the obligatory cocktails. I tried to keep the cocktail-ing in check, but had my way with the tapas bar. Big mistake. At about 3am I realized I was sick. It felt like a mild case of food poisoning. Interestingly, it never occurred to me to scrap the race. It only occurred to me that today was not a PR day.

We rode the el to Soldier Field, the staging area for the 5k. It was really cool to see the car fill up with runners as we traveled along the red line. We hadn't had that experience for the marathon since we'd had car service from the hotel.

Our stop was farther from the field than we expected, and I was getting nervous about time. I decided to combine my warm-up with hurrying to the field, and left Chuck and our two friends who were with us (along for their first 5k experience!) to hurry to the staging area. When I got to Museum Campus, I made two mistakes: Mixing up the Field Museum with Soldier Field (big duh there!) and asking runners along the trail for directions. They were rude. Carin and I - who I met later for drinks - discussed how if any runner encounters us on our trail we'll stop, give directions, offer water, etc. Nevermind that our true purpose is to get a chance to actually stop and catch our breath, we are very polite and kind. Not these runners. I was bummed because I realized this was probably part of the contingency filmed for Spirit of the Marathon, and I expected them to be more helpful and friendly. Oh well. Maybe they were hot... because it was hot.

When I finally found Soldier Field - because you know, football stadiums are so easy to overlook - I got my bib. They did it "backward" but it worked - you gave your name, they looked up your bib number and a volunteer pulled it out of the bunch stored in numerical order. The line moved super-quick! I grabbed my nice tech t-shirt and got pouty, because I could not find a chip tent. After inquiring, a volunteer informed me it was integrated into my bib. Brilliant!

We lined up to start and I put myself somewhat forward. I was very nervous because my stomach was unpredictable. I knew on a 5k there would be no potties alongside for me to escape to. I couldn't decide what I should do - take it easy, try to get it over with, what? Again, not doing it never really crossed my mind. I knew I'd really kick myself if I passed up the opportunity to run this beautiful race.

My first mile was a 7:49 but I knew I couldn't keep that pace. The second mile was a 8:28. The last mile featured cold sweats and chills and a LOT of walking and clocked in at 9:02. No PR for me today. I was so upset I almost burst into tears, but then I got ahold of myself and remembered where I was and re-framed it all. No point in getting upset - this one was out of my hands completely. I still got to do a beautiful run in a beautiful city on a perfect June day. Best of all, as soon as I got a shower and a banana and some water, I was heading in the opposite direction to Wrigley Field. What's better than that?

I felt a little better after the run and found the Chicago Bears mascot. He had been posing for pictures but turned away just as I got to him. I literally chased him down, introduced myself as a Bucs fan, and asked for a picture. What we got was classic - how does a bear costume actually manage to look mean? LOL.

Later I checked for my official chip time and found that I had not done too poorly in the field. We had been told that there were 2000 participants but the list shows just over 1000. Of that number, I placed 4th in my age group, 175th overall and was the 45th woman. That made me feel a little bit better about not making my personal goals. I'm sure the prizes ran 3 deep. I couldn't stick around for the awards - first pitch was at 12:05!

RAP River Run 5k and Sunday's Long Run

2010-06-13T09:20:00.002-04:00

I was supposed to do the Oldsmar Taphouse 5k on Friday night. I did the inaugural one last year and enjoyed it very much, but there were too many factors this weekend that were going to make it too difficult. The older two had a mandatory band practice Friday night and though they very thoughtfully arranged a ride for themselves, I always would rather drive them if possible. Plus the race is a beer run. Running + Beer = Kathryn almost all the time unless I am driving. I won't take the chance of having anything and driving my babies and moreover, with two sons entering high school I feel even more convicted to set a stellar example when it comes to that sort of thing. I don't want them to feel the least bit comfortable being driven by someone known to have had some drinks before getting behind the wheel - never mind do it themselves. I had a lot of friends doing the race so I was disappointed, but it is what it is, and I had another race the next day.

I had won an entry to the RAP River Run courtesy of a new running store which is opening up nearby, Suncoast Running. I wanted to be sure some of MY money also went to the cause so I encouraged any of my kids who wanted to run to sign up, too. Gregory wanted to do the 5k but with his heel issue and lack of training, I encouraged him to drop down to the 1-miler instead, which he was enthusiastic about. Emily was all in for the 5k. This is the third year for this race and they get more and more organized. Packet pick-up was smooth as silk, and race-day registration no problem at all. We got our bibs on and our chips, and waited for the 1-miler to start.

Gregory had a time goal in place and was ready to go. He did 1-milers in PE and does sprint drills in Tae Kwon Do so he was ready to put his new improved feet to the test. We bought him new running shoes (poor lad had never before owned running shoes), I passed on my old super-thick Thorlos (I've moved on to Experias and Balegas) and the heel cups I'd spent a good fortune on from an orthopedist years ago. The good news -- he might end up the runner he wants so badly to be. His form is wonderful, his feet were in good shape, and he's always had the mental discipline for this or anything else he undertakes. He looked fantastic and finished among the top 5. The bad news -- the run was no where near a mile. It was possibly 1/3 of a mile, if that. We were all VERY disappointed. We understood it wasn't sanctioned or chip-timed, but it was billed as one mile and frankly, if we had known it was going to be just a short jaunt around a little pond, we would have gone ahead and bumped him up to the 5k.

That was the only thing I can express my disappointment about, however. The rest of the race was really fantastic. It started on time - 8am, which is luxuriously late though can be pretty hot in June! I was going to run with Emily but Jenny decided Emily was going to run with Mark and her boys. That sounds bossy of Jenny but I think she knew what was going on in my head - Emily could be my "excuse" to not do as well as *I* could and Emily would be fine and dandy with Mark. I was fretting - I have to bully Emily to do well at these, with her blessing. Jenny reasoned that it would be good for Emily to run with someone different, who could motivate her in a different way. Before I knew it, Jenny had convinced Emily that she should run with them, and there I was, all lined up near the front and ready to go, my "excuse" chatting happily with her new running buddies. Oh.

Jenny had the goal to win in her age group which is now OUR age group so she could get a new free running outfit as per a promotion they have going on. She was nervous and already talking about a Plan B race. We knew she didn't need a Plan B race, Carin and I. We were so wrapped up in Jenny getting her AG award for her free outfit that we didn't really say much about what we were after goal-wise. I said under 27 seemed appropriate, since I had gotten a 27 on the 5k last week during the tri. Under 27 would make me faster than last year, so it seemed a worthy goal.

My mile splits tell the story: The first was 7:45, the second 8:14, the third 8:40 and the last 500 feet (.1) at a 6:52 pace. I walked quite a bit the second half of the race and tried to make up for the walking by running too fast when I did. I couldn't even out my pace but I was okay - the race was nice and shady and I haven't done a running race in a while (for me) so I was too busy enjoying it to be upset with how I was doing. I knew my time was going to be okay. If I'd known then what I know now - that I was pretty close to breaking that elusive 25-minute mark - I might have pushed myself harder.

As it is, I finished at 25:15 chip time. I was very happy with that. It's almost 2 minutes faster than last year, and a minute to a minute and a half faster than I've been running 5ks. Some of my work is starting to show up in my times!! I told Jenny afterward that I would like her to pace me to my sub-25 and she said she would. Carin is going to come along to that one just for the show. You know that's going to be an entertaining 25 minutes while we fight through that. But if anyone can get me there, it would Jenny!

Meanwhile, I came home all fired up and happy, and decided that maybe just maybe I could get the sub-25 all by myself, in my beloved city of Chicago! I looked and sure enough there are two races next weekend when I'll be there, one in the morning and a Skirt Chaser in the evening. We're going to a Cubs game Saturday so the evening one is out; but the other 5k starts at Soldier Field and runs along the lake. Perfect! With visions of cool humid free running air dancing in my head, I pulled up the 7 day forecast and .... it's going to be near 90 next weekend!! Oh well, the morning temps are in the mid-60s - I'll take that! :)

I was so looking forward to today's 10-miler and it did not disappoint. It was hot and very very VERY VERY humid (any more humid and it would have been raining) but it just felt wonderful. I was really surprised when the turn-around came, and I felt strong until the very end. Jenny, Carin and I enjoyed great conversation and it felt just like a running "Girls' Morning Out" should be. Awesome run. Today's average was 9:26.

Awesome Swim!

2010-06-10T22:48:00.002-04:00

Though I was lonely with none of my buddies at swim tonight, I still had a great one. The instructor is really wonderful, and got in the pool with us mainly so she could cool off, but it gave her the unique vantage point of being able to duck under with goggles to observe our stroke under water. After all, as she pointed out, the power of the swim occurs when your hands and feet are submerged, not at the point that they are above the surface.

She adjusted more on my stroke, this time using it as a drill (strong pull) and again, I felt power and speed I hadn't before. It's truly a sport of technique, as well as endurance and strength. It's amazing how one technical change can make all the difference in speed and power.

I felt powerful and strong tonight. I've been very focused and strong in my workouts this week and they've been very rewarding.

On the other hand, I felt a little defeated this morning on the 1 mile run, which clocked in at 7:34. My foot was hurting - a random thing that I cannot predict. I am beginning to think it has as much to do with how I'm sleeping - positions or perhaps tightening of the muscles and/or tendons - as anything I am doing to it while I am awake. Some mornings are fine, some are not. Afternoons and evenings might have a ghost of the pain appear, but are predictably easier. Today the pain was not such that I couldn't run on it, but enough that it was making me breathe more shallow, and made me feel like I was going to hyperventilate ... or puke. Though I STILL cannot consistently break the 7:30 mark - not to mention the 7:00 mark, which seems nearly impossible at this point - I was surprised that the mile ended so quick, since I actually stopped and walked at least two times, maybe three. That means that when I was running, I was running.

Also a part of the PT test: Pushups, which Ma'am has been working hard on perfecting our form. I am feeling a big difference in a better form - a BIG difference. I feel a difference in developing muscles throughout my arms and shoulders, and a big difference in the way I execute the exercise.

With the promise to have a perfect attendance June and a strong focus on good quality workouts leading into marathon training, I expect some great strides this month. It's my boot camp "anniversary" and I am celebrating by recommitting to purposeful, focused, strong workouts. Every time.

Awesome Speedwork Night

2010-06-08T21:30:00.002-04:00

A "cold front" passed through today making a discernible difference only to those crazy enough to do a workout outdoors, given the recent oppressive conditions.

Those of us who fit in the crazy category noticed, and were grateful. The difference between the humidity this morning at boot camp and 12 hours later was obvious.

After consulting with my Run Less, Run Faster book AND the group that showed up tonight for speedwork, we decided to do a 5k speed workout. Many - if not all - are running the Oldsmar Taphouse 5k on Friday night and many - if not all - want a das boot (top 50 m/w).

I prescribed 8x400. There was some grousing at the start - some said they didn't think they could do 8, they'd do all they could, etc. I got all Ma'am-like and said that you make the commitment now, while you feel good, you don't decide in the middle!!! Sure enough almost all of us did 8, with the exception of a couple who were there for their very first ever speed workout.

I had been in NO MOOD to do the workout tonight. It had been a busy day - a very busy day - and it was hot and I was tired. Despite that, it ended up being a great workout and I felt strong on every single 400. We did a 1 mile warm up but no real cool down. Unfortunately I forgot my Garmin at home so I don't have the numbers but I stayed closer to the "fast guys" than I usually do, so I am pretty comfortable I would have posted some good numbers. No matter what those numbers were, I felt good and strong, and sometimes that's enough.

My First Triathlon - Dunedin Sprint Tri

2010-06-06T18:50:00.004-04:00

Results:

Total time: 1:32:14 (34/44)

Swim: 7:58 (26/44)

T1: 5:32

Bike: 50:44 (40/44)

T2: 1:03

Run: 27:00 (16/44)

Last night I battened down the hatches, made everyone stay home, got Chuck's undivided and it was game on. We strategically backed the van into the garage, strapped on Fiona and locked her on tight, printed off ninety-eleven lists from the internet and one from Carin, who sent me the best not-so-obvious-things-you'll-need list.

I tried on my clothes, packed my bag, packed an extra helmet, put on my numbers, ... it was crazy what I needed!! Water for my feet, water for my bike, towels, a change of clothing, extra socks, pins, race belts, gu, etc. etc. etc.!

I didn't sleep well - reminiscent of old half and full marathon nights, or even just nights before 20-milers. I was happy to hear the alarm.

I got into my bathingsuit (!!), flipflops (!!!!) and pulled on a pair of running shorts because really, it just felt all wrong to be going to a race in beachwear.

We loaded up the kids and headed for the coast.

As the traffic converged I started to see more and more bikes on the backs of vehicles. I started to get VERY excited and more than just a little bit intimidated. It was a different experience to know that at least one occupant of those cars had someone racing inside; often on the way to a race I'll peek in the vehicles along the way to see if I can see fellow competitors. With bikes strapped tight, there left little doubt. Soon those people would be shouting "left!" and whizzing right by me.

We got the very last spot very close to the transition area, and kinda were at a loss for what to do. We got the bike down and got my huge gear bag and headed where everyone else was heading. Suddenly there was Teresa, grinning at me and ready to help! She showed me my rack, racked my bike, showed me my little bit of Honeymoon Island real estate for the morning, and helped me get set up. Chuck, who was not allowed in the transition area, said that he noticed this nice girl *really* helping me out - he didn't know until later that this was the infamous Teresa.

I went to get marked and chipped - forgot my "proof" in the form of 3 numbers back in my home away from home - Teresa went back to get it for me since I was getting to be pretty useless at this point. About then I found Christy, who was cheerfully snapping pictures and being very reassuring. I needed all of the moral support I could get at this point - I was so nervous I could have happily thrown up. Teresa reappeared with my timing chip, I went to get marked with my number and my age on my calf.

Let me tell you something now: There is no hiding anything in triathlon. This is not a sport for the vain. A proper tri suit or swim suit is so incredibly unflattering - though more efficient - than the tankini or generous running shorts with cute matching tank you'd normally wear. Your age is scrawled on your leg. Your biking shorts soak up sea water and drip it down your leg throughout the bike and, if you are really lucky, throughout the run as well. Hair - if you have it - is crammed under a swim cap as thin as a balloon. (It was funny to me to see guys with a swim cap stuck over their bald heads, LOL!). Forgo "cute" googles for good ones, and enjoy the raccoon eyes they leave behind. Yep, for a triathlon, divas need not apply.

Almost too quick, the transition area was closed, and we headed out to the beach. Teresa and I headed out to get acclimated to the water, and then she was called. Two minutes until I start. Oh.my.god.

I was ready to swim. I wanted the swim to last forever. But oh, that bike. I was absolutely, utterly, and undeniably TERRIFIED of the bike leg.

We stood in the water, waited for our countdown, and 3,2,1... we were off!

Momentarily, I panicked. It looked so far! It's taking all those other cap colors for-EVER to get around the buoys! I've blown off the swim, maybe I shouldn't have blown off the swim...!

But then I started swimming. No one kicked me, no one tried to swim over me - it was awesome. I breathe on one side only - the left, which happens to be away from the shore. I turned to take a breath just as a wave crashed on me. I gulped some salt water and learned quickly; from then on I looked out of the corner of my eye before turning my head fully for a breath. The water was rough enough and shallow enough for many to walk rather than swim, which was disappointing. I think I could have done better if I could have actually swam for the whole thing, rather than swim, walk, dolphin dive, swim, walk, etc. What I was able to do was dictated by what those around me did. Suddenly, the swim portion was over. I yanked off my cap and goggles and started to get ready for the part that I dreaded, the bike...

My transition time cracks me up - EASILY the slowest in my age group at least. You can absolutely tell I was doing everything I could to NOT get on that dang bike, but it had to happen sooner or later. I got all of my stuff on, shoes, socks, sunglasses, helmet, gloves -- grabbed ol' Fiona and walked to the mounting area. Everyone else trotted along with their bikes while I trudged along, like a death march.

I jumped on and carefully put my toes in the cages and biked like I was on Nantucket on a beach cruiser. If anyone yelled "LEFT!" (and believe me, they did!!) I'd move waaaaay over to the right. At one point I got up on the tail of a slower biker (imagine that!) and thought, "OMG. I really do not want to pass her!" I was so afraid I'd pull left to pass and right into the path of one of the guys flying by at breakneck speed. I was also afraid to take my eyes off the road long enough to look over my shoulder. So I'd timidly squeak "Left!" and pray and bike around as quickly as I could, tucking back in to the right shoulder as soon as possible.

Ironically, I'd easily pass others on the inclines of the bridges, thanks to my leg strength. Then they'd pass me on the way down, as I rode the brakes all the way down....

The first six miles were painfully scary and slow, but I started to pick up the pace the second six of the 2-loop course. I lost even more time heading into transition. I was trying to uncage my toes, check out the status of my legs (they were fine, it's not like I used them or anything) and get ready for the next part.

I got to the dismount, ran my bike to my rack, kissed her goodbye, snatched up my running gear and took off like a shot. I had one of the fastest T2 times of my age group. Bye bye, bike!

So excited to have survived the bike, I trotted out of the transition area pulling on my glasses, my hat, re-starting my Garmin. The run! I run! Woo hoo! Let's go!

Almost immediately we hit sand. And then treacherous eroded beach path so narrow only one runner could go at a time. Then a curb, a parking lot, another curb ... I might not survive the run! This is a fall-down recipe for me! And my shoe's untied! Is there a medal for last place?!?!

I got my shoe tied, regrouped, and started again. I knew today would be a PR, and I decided I'd be happy with any 5k time under 30 minutes. I had a lot working against me that even as a runner I wasn't accustomed to: a 9am (hot!) start to the run, trail and sand, and a bike and run prior. I just wanted to finish.

I walked a *lot*. I mean - a LOT. A lot of us were walking and I started to wonder if that was just a triathlon - that you didn't really RUN the run unless you were one of the ones who had designs on winning something. When my Garmin clicked in 8:57 for the 1st mile I was genuinely surprised. I guess when I was running, I was running pretty darn fast. The second mile was 9:56 which seemed more accurate. I was starting to lose steam big time, but enjoying "picking off" other runners. It was especially delicious after having been "picked off" so much myself on the bike leg.

After much winding and curb-jumping, and sand-trudging I finally saw the finish line. The time on the clock read 1:41:xx. I knew I could subtract 10 minutes from that but had no idea if that was a good time or not, LOL! Last year I came out to this same race to see friends compete, and was amazed at the accomplishment. Now it was mine, too. Slow or fast, I had done it - and learned a lot along the way.

The best part of this weekend was all the support that I received. I know many people thought I was absolutely nuts making such a split second decision to do this and really with no true training at all. There were so many of you who were so supportive and enthusiastic and encouraging and just really made it all great. Teresa - of course - who stepped me through every bit of it with a smile (and then totally rocked the race herself!!!). Christy who was there for support and picture-taking and empathizing and relating and alleviating my fears. Jamie who was a welcome, cheering sight on the bike course when I *really* need the boost, Ma'am who was (is always!) a great and enthusiastic cheerleader, Carin who sent me the most awesome tri list ever, my sister and my running sister Jenny, who sent texts and emails of support and encouragement. This is reading like an Oscar speech but I am really so grateful tonight by all the great people I am lucky enough to have around me, and the fact that they kept me buoyed with confidence and ready to tackle this. My sport - now sports - has brought me into the realm of some really great people, and that makes days like this really special.

In order to explain how I felt about the race event itself I have to break it up:

Pre-race: Pre-race was stressful, but also fun. There was something calming and therapeutic about gathering the things I needed. Chuck and I worked together on this, and it had a very "team" feel to it, which I enjoyed. But there was also the nerve-wracking concern that I'd forget something very, very important ... like my running shoes.

Swim: Holy...! did I *love* the swim. It's 8pm at night right now and if someone challenged me to a re-match of today's swim I'd be on it like white on rice. It was hands down my absolute favorite part of the race - I think partly because I have fallen madly in love with swimming and partly because it was the beginning of the journey, and I was excited to be getting the party started.

Bike: TERRIFYING. Absolutely. Undeniably. I knew that at any minute I was going to topple over and end it all right then. My bike could go way faster than I would let her, and I was a-okay with that. I was a total wimp on the bike. Total.

Run: I wish I'd know what I know now: It was fun. I was so afraid I was underestimating the run (*only* a 5k, after all!) that I was over-thinking it. I was scared I'd get into some quicksand-like sugar sand and burn my legs out. Whatever. It was 3.1 miles - what did I have to lose? I'd do it again, too, just to prove to myself that I am a big baby and it wasn't that bad.

Post-race: I wasn't as exhilarated as I thought I'd be, probably because I knew I had let my head get in front of my ability. It was fun to stay for awards and see my friends get many. I was glad to be there to cheer for them, and they continue to inspire...

What a Difference

2010-06-04T17:02:00.003-04:00

I just downloaded and analyzed the data from my 19 mile ride on Monday and my 20 mile ride today.

Monday: 19 miles @ 11MPH = 1:43:33

Today: 20 miles @ 14.3MPH = 1:24:11

So 20 minutes less to go 1 more mile.

Also, I lied about my ride last Friday. I said it was 15.8MPH. I misread the report; my max speed was 15.8MPH. My average was 10.2. Slight difference there... ooops.

7 + 20 + 1

2010-06-04T14:55:00.003-04:00

Yep, I bit the bullet. I committed.

Meet Fiona.

I decided she needed a name. If she's going to cost me a bunch of money, make me wear pants that feel like diapers, and require a lot of my time, I should probably give her a name.

On balance, I look impulsive. And I'll admit the triathlon (2 days and counting!!) was a bit of an impulse buy. But the bike ... well, she's a long time coming.

I've always liked biking. Ever since Santa went right on over my Mom and Dad's head and brought me a bike even though they'd been telling me no, I've loved a bike. Despite the fact that Mom had every right to be mad at Santa for undermining her, she took my sister and me the following unseasonably warm day to a local park, and Sue and I rode our hearts out. It's one of my fondest childhood memories.

I always wanted to bike when the kids were little but there were two problems: Twins. Then there were three problems. Then the three problems went off to school and the fourth problem was a stubborn girl who would NOT stay in her bike trailer. Chuck wouldn't let me ride with them up on the bike with me, in case I fell, so I never really got into it like I wanted to.

Then I started running. Biking felt like cheating on running. When I'd go to races and see former runners, they'd say, "Yeah, I used to run, but now I bike." Biking was like the second wife - the trophy wife - to running.

Then there was the problem of money. You see, I thought any bike with ram's horns for handlebars was called a "tri bike". So I'd go in a store and ask for a tri bike. The salesperson would either say that they didn't have a tri bike or they'd lead me over to a bike with a price tag that read something in the vicinity of $75 million. No wonder the median income of triathletes is $150k. I couldn't even afford the equipment!

Then the impulse buy of the triathlon came along and it all became clear. I didn't have to choose! I could be in love with running AND biking (and swimming, for that matter!). Free love!

So, I went to Craig's List and typed in "tri bike". And sure enough, tri bikes are still $75 million, even if they are used. We went to a bike store and there I was enlightened for the first time: A tri bike is a completely different animal from a road bike. AND, road bikes are NOT $75 million! (just half that. Just kidding. Sorta.)

After a bunch of research, a bunch of shopping (I'm a quick shopper and have been to a TON of bike stores in the past week or so), and a bunch of worrying, I finally got her.

She's a Giant. Fiona. Get it? (Okay, so Fiona is an ogre. Semantics.)

After I got her home I was so excited I went to swim class and didn't swim. Instead I sat at the end of the pool (in the water with my swim cap and goggles on, so that's something!) and chatted with Teresa. In our defense, though we didn't get a whole lot of exercise in, we kept it on topic and talked about triathlons the entire hour and a half.

I seem to be running so much better on Friday mornings after my Thursday evening swim, so I was worried I'd messed up today's run. Fortunately, I was wrong. I met Carin and Jenny and we did our usual hill run. I am still re-acquainting myself with the Garmin (it's been so long since I set it up the first time I don't remember how to get it the way I'd had it), so I missed recording some miles and the time is all off, so I don't know the average pace. I do know it was 7 miles, including 5 hill repeats of the big hill we do at the end. Jenny is in the middle of her monster mile week, so she stayed to add on an extra 3 while Carin and I headed back. Though it was incredibly humid thanks to some storms last night, the temperature wasn't too bad and I felt pretty strong.

I was not going to be comfortable riding that new bike in a race without getting some miles in the saddle, so after fretting over the weather (storms were blowing in from the Gulf), I decided to just bite the bullet and go. That ended up being an excellent choice. With those storms just off the coast, the winds were up, so I got a chance to get comfortable not only with the bike, but with a lighter bike in the wind. I was originally going to do just 12, but I was having so much fun I decided to go ahead and do 20. I figured the more time I was on the bike, the more comfortable I'd be, and maybe I could quit tossing and turning and dreaming about bike crashes in the night.

When I finished the 20, I put my bike in my van and headed out for a 1 mile run just to get a feel for that, since I've been told that the bike-to-run transition can be the hardest. That's no lie - that hurt. My foot was screaming at me, my stride felt half-sized, and I felt slow as molasses. I chalked that all up to it being 1 o'clock in the afternoon and HOT and humid, plus having run and biked already today. I walked quite a bit and decided the point was to just do it, not necessarily do it fast. I expected the mile to clock in around 11.

It was 9:06.

Wow. That was a confidence booster! It was a really strange feeling because my speed perception was way off, I guess because of the cadence of the bike just prior.

Next confidence builder will be to ride the bike over the bridges on the race course tomorrow. I know I can do it, I just want to do it one more time so I can lay that fear to rest for Sunday.

Worrying ...

2010-06-03T10:47:00.006-04:00

Last night I couldn't sleep. I am borrowing Cherise's bike for the race and Chuck and I spent some time last night airing the tires and adjusting the handlebars so it fit me. I rode the bike around the street a bit and it's comfortable, but I have to admit I am really really nervous about riding a bike with a bunch of people around me, especially in a new, aggressive position. Part of me wants to bring my old trusty mountain bike and just trudge along with that, but the other part realizes that there is a reason these bikes exist, and it'll be better for my legs in the long run. So in order to combat that fear, I am going to face it, by going out this afternoon for a long-ish ride on the new (to me) bike. Hopefully after riding a bit and reassuring myself that I will not fall down or cause a domino effect on the bike leg of the race that'll end up making the evening news, I can sleep tonight.

I have gotten so much support and encouragement in my new venture! Thank you to those of you who have sent me encouragement, and advice, and help. I've even had several offers to loan me a bike! I am an information junkie, so anything and everything you can tell me about this new sport are like gems to me. I always said I wouldn't do this, and everyone has been kind enough to not point that out, LOL! The more I read and talk, and "train" (I use the word train loosely since I certainly am not using any kind of plan; I think it's more fair to call it "practice"), the more I like what I am doing. Someone told me that runners have an advantage in the sport, since most triathletes don't like running. While I can admit that I can see preferring swimming and biking over running - particularly in the summer - it's good to know that my years of running will benefit me in this crossover.

Tuesday night was speedwork, and I'm still not acclimating well to the heat. Our workout was 4x400, 2x800, and 2x400. We did a 1-mile w/u and a 1/2 mile c/d. I finally got the frozen towels *just right* and they really helped, but I still need some toughening up when it comes to breathing through the heat and humidity. It doesn't help that it's one of the hottest parts of the day when we do the workout - 6:30pm and 91 degrees. Best to do these tough workouts under the most adverse conditions, and make San Fran's cool air feel like a real treat.

Tonight is swim, this afternoon a bike ride. I also got tagged by another Goofygirl blogger :) to write 7 random things, so I will do that after the swim/bike post, since I'm sure there won't be much to write about (unless I fall! ACK!).

Weekend Workouts

2010-06-01T10:40:00.002-04:00

Sunday I met the girls for our regular Sunday long run. I thought it would be just me waiting for the 20-milers (Jamie and Jenny) at their 5-mile mark but Cherise drove in right behind me. She said it sounded like we'd had such a fun run last Sunday she wanted to join us this Sunday! We both groused a bit about how we really didn't want to run 10, and probably wouldn't. We decided we'd just turn around when we felt like it.

Soon enough Jamie and Jenny appeared on the trail with 5 miles already under their belts, and we fell in beside them. The weather has been perfect. It could be cooler, but that park seems to have its own ecosystem - it's often cooler than the surrounding areas, and can sometimes rain there when it doesn't rain anywhere else. A run under an already risen sun anywhere else on a May day would have been brutal, but there it was cool enough, and breezy.

Along the way someone with ridiculously good eyesight spotted an alligator, so we all doubled back to get a better look. We'd heard there were gators in the park but never had seen one ourselves. That was the only critter (besides birds and dragon flies) we got to see yesterday. They deer were elsewhere, I guess; perhaps scared off by the high volume of bikers through the park lately.

We got out to 5 miles and Cherise and I realized we were doing 10, after all. We were feeling fine, so why not? With about 2.5 miles to go my foot started acting up, but walking didn't help it so I decided to just keep moving on it. It's never gone into a full blown case of PF, just twinges here and there, but it does like to act up every now and again. I know how to get it under control when it does act up, so it doesn't freak me out like it has in the past and I am comfortable pushing through the pain knowing I'm not doing any lasting damage.

We finished up the 10 and waved Jenny and Jamie goodbye as they started on their last 5!

Yesterday Chuck and I planned to go on a bike ride. Our intention was to do 20 but we ended up doing 19 due to miscalculating our turn-around. We had a nice time and tried to keep a decent speed. It was frustrating to get passed so often by stronger bikers on faster bikes. At one point a woman not on a road bike (but a bike more like my 100 pound mountain bike) passed us easily. My competitiveness kicked in and I started picking it up with the intent to catch and pass her. Unfortunately, just as we were starting to make a serious gain on her she turned around :( She didn't even know she had competition, I guess!!

When we were done our legs were fine but our hands were asleep! It took a good hour to regain feeling in my hands after the ride was done. I'm starting to understand why road bikes are built so differently from other bikes. Just the relief of being down on your forearms has to make a big difference in comfort!!

Dress Rehearsal

2010-05-28T18:41:00.004-04:00

Today I decided that for my workout I'd go to the location of the race next weekend and try a dress rehearsal. Since I was off work, it seemed like the perfect day, especially since the park/island would not be crowded with Memorial Day guests yet.

Last night I had gone to swim practice and swam about 1800M, maybe more. I lost count and didn't really care anyway. Once I told the coach I was doing the tri, she was able to focus on specific exercises for me. After drills, she had me do a 600, 200M at a time with a 10 second break between each and accelerating speed each lap. Once I did that I felt confident I could do the 1/4 mile swim distance, but still I'm feeling pretty weak speed-wise. I am not doing the tri for time necessarily but I want a decent showing, if nothing because I am a competitive athlete. This isn't necessarily a case of doing it just to say I did, but to do it well enough that it's not an embarrassment. She got in the water at one point and was swimming behind me. I got to the end of the pool and she called out to me - she'd found a deficiency in my stroke she wanted to correct. Although I am the most uncoordinated soul you'll ever meet, for some reason I can immediately adjust and correct when it comes to swimming. Once she adjusted my stroke and we practiced for a bit I started to do some 50s - fast and hard down out and easy back. We were both shocked by the power of my swim with the adjustment and it made me feel pretty confident. She assured me that I did not need to worry about the swim next weekend, I was in good shape there. So now (in my mind) all I needed to worry about was the bike.

In addition to the fact that I've never biked for sport, this course has me freaked out because of the bridges. I used to run this course when I trained for my first marathon, but apparently since I've not been there for a while the bridges grew in height and degree of incline in my imagination. I felt comfortable my legs were strong enough to handle the ascent, but was absolutely worried about going downhill.

So, I loaded up my bike, tried to remember everything Carin told me to bring last week, and headed to the park. I searched for a spot that had clear enough water to swim, but was populated enough to have scared away critters and have observers who might notice if I were drowning. I picked a spot near the main beach and parked near the beach access.

My first concern to overcome: Being able to SEE what was in the water via goggles, which I typically do not wear when I go to the beach. Sometimes I like to live by the credo that ignorance is bliss, and this is one example of that. But goggles were going to be necessary.

My next concern: Being able to see where I was going, go in a straight line, sight and be efficient. As I stood in the water wetting my hair and putting on my swim cap (I guess I'll have to do this over dry hair next week, yuck), the choppy water pulled at me. I realized right away that I had another concern: Swimming in water that was anything but still.

I found a sandbar where the water was deep enough for a true swim, but shallow enough that I could stand. Perfect. Now what? I decided to just swim for 15 minutes or so, since that's how long Emmy said I should be in the water next week. I swam along the shoreline, practicing my drills, sprinting, breast stroking and dolphin diving. I was surprised that I was comfortable in the water - moreso even than the pool, since the salt was offering buoyancy you don't get in the pool. I didn't see anything freaky in the water, so that was comforting. I thought I'd try bilateral breathing but it didn't seem necessary - no need to try if I can do well enough breathing from one side. I am going to try to avoid breast stroke during the race, because though that is my strongest stroke, it is more of a lower body stroke than an upper body stroke, and I'd rather save my legs for the other two portions of the race.

Next I practiced getting out of the water quickly. I did that two or three times.

As I trekked through the sand I realized I forgot something Carin told me to bring: Fresh water for my feet. Ugh. Since it wasn't a race, I decided to go ahead to the beach shower and wash my feet off, rather than dealing with sandy feet on a run. I came back and utilized the little transition area I'd set up in my car - put on my Garmin, shorts, socks and shoes. I had to unlock my bike, adjust my helmet - all things that took up time - but soon enough I was off and riding.

The bike portion was actually kind of boring. I had initially planned to do 12 miles but I seriously got bored and my butt was hurting, and I didn't see how an additional 3.5 miles was going to benefit me. It was getting late in the afternoon and I was hot, so I cut the ride short. I forgot to turn my Garmin off, so my pace is a little off. The most important part of this part for me was that I learned that the bridges were not near as steep as I thought, and that I could handle them easily. I rode some sharp turns, purposely seeking out sand to turn on, and then headed back to the car.

At this point I was extremely thirsty. I hadn't prepared well for nutrition or hydration. I should have brought some shot blocks or gu since this was going to be a 2+ hour activity. I headed to the beach bar for some Gatorade before I headed out on the run.

My intent for the run was to do the entire 5k, and to do it on the wooded Osprey Trail. I wanted to run on asphalt, trail and sand, as I was told that was what to expect for the run. By this time it was 3pm and 91 degrees out. I was hot and sweaty. I figured it was better to train under the most adverse conditions, and did the best I could. The run was extremely slow at 31 minutes, but several factors (besides the heat) were at play: I thought I was lost at one point and slowed down until I was re-oriented (no reason to run further away from where I was trying to get!). Also, I found my sand. It was very loose grey beach sand - not the white sand of beaches, and not packed down with moisture. Just very loose and very difficult to run through.

I am glad I did this. I not only feel more confident and capable, I have some feedback I can put to good use. My saddle is far too wide and very uncomfortable. The tri suit my sister sent me is actually opaque. If I were skinny, it would not be opaque, LOL. I am not skinny. There are see-through lines thoughout the bottom that are stretched out on me --- not a pretty look. I was going to purchase a pair of tri shorts (and might if I can find some cheap enough) but I ran today in a bathingsuit with a pair of running shorts pulled over it and that was fine, except for the bike portion. So for now, my intent is to wear a swimsuit for the swim, pull on the tri shorts my sis sent during transition, and wear those. The swimsuit will take care of the see-through issue and the tri shorts will have padding to take care of the hurtin' butt issue. Since the bathingsuit top was tight enough it worked for the run (you girls know what I mean ;-). I am not built to run or tri, IF you understand what I am saying....).

I switched out my bike seat already and I'll try that out tomorrow. I'll try running in the shorts next week. I decided I needed hydration on the bike so I got a cage and an insulated bottle to carry with me on the bike portion. My goggles and swim cap are just fine.

See --- all this equipment!!! This is why I've been shy to do this up until now - that and the open water swim. This is a lot of stuff to remember and consider for a scatter-brain like me!! But you know, today's workout was really fun and empowering. There was enough variety that it kept it interesting, and I was honestly surprised I was at it for over 2 hours. I feel tremendously better about having jumped into this thing with both feet!

Edit - Gertrude (Gary the Garmin's replacement) is now finally on speaking terms with my laptop. My bike portion has been downloaded - 8.41 miles @ 15.8 MPH. It took me 2 minutes to realize my Garmin was still recording my time so that's a little off but I have no idea if that's a good speed or not anyway, LOL. It is what it is.

Tri and Run

2010-05-23T20:05:00.003-04:00

Last night, while we were making our Sunday plans, Chuck said he was going to go run this morning. I suggested he ride with me up to our park to run. He balked at first, saying he didn't want to invade on our "girl time". I lovingly reassured him that he need not worry; we'd dust him in no time. LOL. So after discussing it a bit, he decided that coming up to our park was just the ticket. I'm glad he did it - he went out a lot further than he would have had he just been on a treadmill. He got caught in that trap/blessing where you are feeling all fine and dandy during the first half and "what's another mile?" but when you turn around you realize that mile shows up at the end. Still, he had fun, and I had him all set up with some coffee and his Sunday paper and a bottle of water so he could hang out and enjoy the morning while he waited for me and the girls.

Jenny and Jamie were doing 16. No way no how am I interested in running 16, so we went with Jenny's creative plan to get her extra 5 in and run with us the latter part of the run. She and Jamie met 5 miles from the park, ran up to our usual start, and Carin and I picked them up there.

It was a bit cooler than yesterday and it felt really good. We were very chatty today so the miles clicked off quickly. Gary's replacement still hasn't arrived and I embraced the freedom of no nagging watch to give me mile splits. I had back-up in the form of 2 other Garmins on 2 other girls, so I didn't feel totally lost. Plus I know that park like the back of my hand.

Yesterday I also ran, the perfect three-mile loop at the Y. It was a very hot and sweaty run but a lot of fun with excellent company. Afterward we headed to Starbucks where my iced coffee literally had candy in it (caramel). Yeesh. For someone who tries to not drink her calories (save beer) this was something else. GOOD, but definitely not something I'd likely order again!

Also yesterday I decided to surface with my idea to do a triathlon. Several factors came into play:

1) The adventure race. Even though the bike part nearly made me crazy - both during the race and trying to get the bike TO the race, I had done it, and I knew I could do it again.

2) KC and Teresa. KC left a comment on my Inspiration post; she was so excited about tri training again! Teresa has a video on her blog of her 70.3 experience that shows her grinning ear-to-ear through the whole experience. I am truly inspired!

3) The swim portion is in the Gulf. I should learn to never say never, but I'm pretty comfortable I won't be swimming in a FL lake any time soon. The Gulf I can handle. Plus the swim class has given me confidence that I am capable of swimming even under race/stressful condtions.

Most compelling:

4) Chuck can be there. I wouldn't even consider doing this race unless he could be there with me. The kids and I went last year while he was out of town to watch Carin and her sister race, and we all had a great time. They'll enjoy watching and I'll appreciate their support. Triathlons are a growing sport among young people - maybe they'll be inspired, too!

And so there you go. Short of paying the race entry (which I will do tomorrow) it's a done deal. Any of you who have advice or tips or whatever I would LOVE the help! Carin will be helping me learn how to set up the transitions, and has advised me on what I need to get to finish this thing alive. It might be crazy to even attempt this with the race only 2 weeks away, but I am comfortable I can handle the distances (1/4 mi swim, 12 mi bike, 5k run). I have a little marathoner's cockiness going on, I'll admit, but I also respect the various disciplines enough to try to ready myself properly for it. So - any advice? Thoughts? AM I crazy??

4 in 24

2010-05-21T14:06:00.002-04:00

I had boot camp, weight training and swim yesterday and I felt it all in my legs this morning!

Carin and I were both Garmin-less, so Jenny was in charge. :) She had 9 to do but Carin and I only had time for the usual 7ish. We met for hills and depended on Jenny to get our mileage in since we had no way of measuring. For all we know we did 10 miles. (Just kidding, I know we did 7.25ish).

Somehow swimming the night before these hill runs makes the run easier. About half way through the run I had considered skipping a "lap" and resting, but then something kicked in and I felt strong enough to finish comfortably. I think it was mind-over-matter - I think I felt like I *should* feel bad and that bogged me down, until my right mind spoke up and pointed out that actually, I felt just fine.

Hopefully Gary's replacement will be here today. I really miss having the feedback to analyze. At the same time, it's kind of freeing.

A lot of people are getting ready for the Mad Beach Tri.

I'm feeling a little jealous.

Tuesday Speedwork

2010-05-19T14:33:00.003-04:00

I "coached" last night (a misnomer, really all I do is facilitate) for speedwork. We were to do 6x800s and 4x100s. I was able to do 2x600s and I did 6x100s. I had to head back to the Y building (which is .25 mile away) to go to the restroom and attempt to unfreeze the frozen towels. They had been sitting in the YMCA freezer for two weeks and more resembled a frozen pot roast in size and hardness than 25 frozen towels. Nothing worked - they would NOT unfreeze. You would think that 87-degree temps, 4 minutes in the microwave and several minutes in hot water would get one or two of them apart but nope, no luck. So apparently I need to work on that formula some, LOL. Two weeks frozen is obviously not the ticket.

Anyway, speedwork is not the same without Gary :( I wore one of his predecessors which is bulky and more like wearing a laptop than a Forerunner. It did the trick but it was awkward and clumsy. Since speedwork is purely a numbers game it wasn't enjoyable. I'm using the Tuesday speedwork nights as more of a "placeholder" anyway, since I am not yet on a training schedule and have no solid goals in place at this time.

This morning I skipped bootcamp. Any time I was sleeping on my back I would get very dizzy to the point that it would wake me up. I experienced this while pregnant with the twins, and at the time it was attributed to the weight on my back cutting off my blood supply. It's a very disconcerting feeling, and it created a restless night. I was afraid to work out until I'd moved around a bit today, and I feel fine. When I thought about it, it wasn't a bad idea to take today off anyway, since I won't otherwise have a rest day. Missing - especially unexpectedly - really throws my day off and lowers my energy.

I have a goal for a perfect-attendance June. I have no plans that at this point would prevent that. June will also be the one-year "anniversary" of attending, and the last time I got a perfect attendance award was that month.

Inspiration

2010-05-18T08:28:00.004-04:00

I haven't updated my blog nor have I had a chance to read many blogs in the past week or so due to being on vacation.

After not using my passport for 37 years, I've now used it five times at the ripe ol' age of 38 years, 4 months, LOL. What's sad is that I've only used it in 2 countries: Grand Cayman (twice) and Cozumel, Mexico. We joined friends for a 5-day cruise to both countries aboard - why yes - the Carnival Inspiration. We had a fantastic time that didn't leave any room for craziness like working out or running! I had never had intentions of running a track on the 11th level of a ship in the Caribbean in May, especially when 11 laps = 1 measly mile, but I did have plans to run a bit on a treadmill overlooking the water. But no, that didn't happen. I didn't even SEE the onboard gym. The only thing close to exercise was a 50 yard swim in the crystal clear Cayman waters, for the purpose of seeing our cruise ship docked in town from about seven miles away. Ah, heaven.

If I had a complaint about the cruise (besides the lousy sing-along piano bar hostess), it was the length. Five days was just far too long for the restless homebodies that all four of us are. When we debarked in Tampa on Thursday, I was ready to get the show on the road and get my butt in gear again and work hard. I guess that's the point of a vacation: To recharge. I am recharged!!

The name of our ship isn't the only reason for the title of this post. While I was gone and right after my return, some inspirational runners and triathletes were putting their training to the test at various races. Some are "virtual" friends whose blogs I follow, and one is a "real life" friend. One blogger put her minimalist training to the test and BQ'ed (something I needed to read since it is my plan this time as well). One blogger rocked a triathlon and scored a 3rd place AG finish (her run was the fastest of the three at 48:xx for a 10k - impressive!!!). And my friend Teresa was crowned IronMom with her first 70.3 finish. Awesome work and seriously, SO inspirational. Their enthusiasm is palpable and made me want to work hard and go get 'em, too! Just in time, as marathon training begins again in mere weeks!

One last bit of exciting news, completely unrelated to running at all, but falls under the title of inspiration: Gregory learned yesterday that he'll be inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. This is something he'd set as a goal early in the school year. He is one of those individuals who sets the bar high for himself, and strives hard to meet it. He is the epitome of how to live a balanced life. He works hard, plays hard, sleeps hard. He does have one major flaw: He hates to run. :)

On to my workouts... Given the fact that it had been nine whole days since I'd done anything that resembled exercise, I was a bit apprehensive about doing nine miles on Sunday, which isn't necessarily that long of a long run. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only was it not difficult, it was refreshingly comfortable and easy, underscoring that cycling out of exercise for a bit might not be such a bad idea (as long as you don't take rests that don't end, I guess). Unfortunately that was Gary the Garmin's last hoorah; he died later that day, cause unknown. He's on his way to Olathe, KS for an autopsy but results don't matter, a replacement will be dispatched when he gets there. So I don't know how fast or slow that run really was, but it doesn't matter, because it was fun, easy and I got a chance to be with friends. Those are the most important components of a long run!

I returned to boot camp yesterday and was happy it was lower-body circuit work. I felt it this morning and it's certainly an area I need to be concentrating on right now. No running in class yesterday but that was good with me - it was stifling out. Boot camp today as well but I skipped the run due to the fact that my plantar fasciitis is flaring (despite the time off ). I am doing speedwork tonight so it was important I was able to do that.

I also bought a Shake Weight yesterday. I do know it's completely obscene thanks to SNL, but I can't find any bad reviews on it anywhere. Why the heck not, for six minutes a day? I will take some before and after shots so you can see for yourself if it works. I found mine in Wal Mart. I ripped the DVD to my iPod so I can take it with me anywhere, which is probably a good thing, since I am going to have to do this on the DL...

It's Summer in FL!

2010-05-07T10:53:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I haven't posted since the last weekend in April. Usually my blog is a very relaxing distraction for me and gives me a great place to sort out my thoughts as they pertain to my training and exercise routines. If I abandon ship, it's usually because I'm in a bad place with my running, but that's not the case this time. We've had a lot going on as a family, and a lot of it is exciting stuff! Fortunately I've kept up with my workouts, but that's because most of my running and exercise takes place before the family has even opened their collective eyes - but once we're up lately, we're running (figuratively :))!

The oppressive heat and humidity that is Florida's summer calling card is here with a vengeance. After a bitterly cold winter we had a small taste of spring, and then summer came blazing in. I missed a glorious couple of mornings of cool, dry air last week that were spring's parting gift, and the running since then has been all about re-acclimating. I am trying to give myself a break and accept that this is exactly what I need to do - acclimate - as marathon training will begin next month. This month is about making adjustments to prepare to have as pleasant a training season as possible. I was able to do it last year, and learned a lot of lessons about running long or hard in the heat and humidity, and I plan to apply them this year.

The past two Tuesday evenings have been devoted to speedwork. The first of the two was a repeat of the previous week's workout - 4x800s and 4x400s. Those went fairly well. This past Tuesday's workout was a ladder: 2x400, 2x800, 1200, 2x800, 2x400. We had run for boot camp earlier that morning and though we only ran 1.75 miles, I nearly melted. I knew we were in for a tough evening. I tried to assist by bringing iced washcloths to cool us down, and they helped a lot. Even still, I could not make it out to the 1200 mark at the top of the ladder. I got to 1000M. I was surprised how beat I was - I may not be the fastest, but I definitely have endurance. I may have been the last one to that 1200 mark, but I'll get there eventually. Not Tuesday. I could have walked to the 1200 but that would have defeated the concept of speedwork. I decided a run to 1000 was better than a walk to 1200 for this particular workout. The other side of the ladder went okay. I had brought HEED with me as my hydration, and I really like it. It's some nasty stuff when you are standing in your kitchen, showered and cooled by the A/C. But when you are hot, sweaty, thirsty and depleted, it is nectar of the gods.

Both Thursday evenings I went to swim class. The swim class will be one of the workouts for my 3+2 marathon training (3 key runs + 2 other workouts). The class is starting to kick my ass. We had to "circle swim" last Thursday, which meant I had to be on my game the whole time, or risk getting lapped or holding back another classmate. I'm learning I'm not as quick as I thought I was - which is good, it'll make me work harder. I don't like being last. Last night we had individual lanes but then two activities that pushed me: A "snake" swim (where we swim in tandem up the lane then back down, etc.) - I was second-to-last (on purpose, that's where I joined in) but trying to keep up with the swimmer in front of me and ahead of the swimmer behind me made for a tough 200. Because of that, I liked it :) We also had a relay race - which also pushed me a bit. I know in a class full of triathletes that even as they say it's not competitive, it most certainly is. I sure didn't want to be the cause for a losing team.

Last Friday and this one, I met Jenny and various other runners for hill work. Last week was Jenny, Carin and me. I felt really strong and managed 7 miles, including 5 hill repeats. This Friday there were four of us total, and I felt very lead-legged. I got 5.25 in, no hill repeats.

Due to various activities last weekend and this weekend, I will not be doing any long runs. It's kind of nice to have a reason to take a break from them. There are plenty of very long runs in my immediate future!

PSA: Beer and Wings Do Not Make The Best Pre-Run Dinner

2010-04-25T10:00:00.002-04:00

Last night we went out with friends to a hole-in-the-wall wing joint, where the wings (and beer) turned out to be surprisingly good. Our wing appetizer turned into a full out wing-fest, and somewhere in there I guess it slipped my mind that I was doing 11 miles this morning, LOL.

It was just Jenny and me this morning, and I was giving her a ride so she could do 16 miles instead of just 11, so I had to get through it. I confessed my sins to Jenny and warned her that I wasn't sure how this was going to go. I wanted to make sure I hit every water stop to thwart any chance of further dehydration. I was glad I had HEED in my water bottles - I think that helped, too. I actually felt better than I acted, because I was being very cautious. I know how getting very dehydrated can derail an entire Sunday afternoon, and sometimes can wipe a person out for Monday, too. At mile 5 I decided to take a rest-break while Jenny ran out the additional .5. I probably didn't need that but - again - better safe than sorry. I'm not training for anything.... yet :)

When Jenny came back she had a friend with her! She is a darling of the running community - truly in love with the sport and so utterly positive. I was absolutely delighted to see her. I was also a little freaked out. I haven't seen her in a long time, maybe even two years. At one point early in the run Jenny and I were separated, and I started to think about her and was going to ask Jenny if she'd seen or heard from her. I didn't get a chance to, but then Jenny referenced her in a conversation, too. ...And then suddenly there she was! What is that? A premonition? A sense? An amazing coincidence? Whatever it was, it was wonderful to see her, as pretty and positive and motivating as always.

At the 2-mile mark she ran off to run the trails and Jenny and I continued on. It was at this point that I really started to feel the effects of my transgressions. I ran until the Garmin beeped 10, and then happily trudged back to my car, while Jenny ran off to finish up her training run.

It was a great 10 miles at a 9:02 average, which is a little misleading, since I stopped several times (and Garmin stopped with me). I'm really excited that I have a race coming up and a training plan to compose - I have felt at loose ends lately without one. BUT, because I have a training plan to adhere to in about a month or so (as Jenny keeps cheerfully pointing out!), I am going to enjoy the freedom of just following a loose plan. It is my intention to create a plan based on Run Less, Run Faster, so I can incorporate swimming and biking into my training weeks. If I am finding that this is not working out for me, I'll revert back to using SmartCoach as I have the previous marathons. For now, though, I'm following a "skeleton" plan based on the RL, RF premise of 3 key runs a week.

Woo hoo!!

2010-04-23T16:40:00.002-04:00

First things first: Jenny, Carin and I just found out that we got into the Nike Women's Marathon!! I really did not realize how much I wanted this until this week. The sign-up said to expect our credit cards to be charged on or around April 20th, if we got in, so on Tuesday I started to get the butterflies. When we got no notice and no charge, I started to acknowledge that this was one of those things where you do not realize how much you wanted it until (you think) you didn't get it. I was disappointed but still a tinge hopeful, especially when Jenny and Mark couldn't find any blog entries or indication that ANYONE had been picked. My disappointment was based primarily on the fact that the NWM blog mentioned some alternate ways to get into the "sold out" race, leading me to believe that someone had been notified, just not us.

Ironically, as I was in the bike store buying a big ol' vat of HEED to start using in place of water on these hotter, sweatier runs, the email came. I uncharacteristically left my phone in the car so I didn't get to see the email, so I was a little surprised when an incoming call was from Jenny when I got back into the car. We don't phone each other except in extreme cases, so answered without listening to a few lines of my ringtone Imma Be, as I usually do. :) I am SO GLAD it turned out that way - that Jenny was the one to tell me "in person" (so to speak) and we go to squeal and rejoice together (neither of us squeal, so that should say something about how excited we were!). I was so excited I was shaking. I am going to bottle up this feeling and carry it with me on each and every training run. How VERY exciting!! Here I come San Francisco! Here I come tuxedoed firemen handing out blue Tiffany boxes at the finish! Here I come 90000000 porta-potties! Here I come Chocolate Mile (even though I don't like chocolate)! Here I come Fisherman's Warf and Ghirardelli Square and Golden Gate Bridge! Here I come hills - I ain't scared of you, I've run Nashville!! YAY!

Back to the east coast(-ish, since I am also on a west coast. Just not the LEFT coast, as Rush would call it)...

Wednesday I "only" did boot camp :). It included a run, which we were supposed to run very quickly. I was being a big baby about having to run really quickly given that I had a speedwork hangover, but in the end the power of peer pressure preveailed :), and we kicked it in nicely. Plus it was nice to just get it done.

Thursday was full of workouts! Bootcamp in the morning ... parking lot day! I love love love parking lot day. Everyone loves parking lot day in their own sick way. I almost didn't go Thursday because I'd slept through my snooze and woke up a little later, but I hustled and got ready and arrived on time. I am so glad I did!

Then I met T at the Y for some weight training (which we promptly "undid" eating wings and fries for lunch :)).

Last night I finally got back to the master's swim class and yes, it's true love. It was like I was never gone. I did 2x200 warm-up, some drills and then some distance swimming. I didn't want to stop, I seriously didn't. There is something so peaceful and calm about swimming. She showed me a drill called "sighting", which is where you lift your head up a bit to see where you are, which she said is beneficial when I do my tris. I explained I don't DO tris. She said, "Why not? You are a runner and you can swim, why wouldn't you do tris?"

Now I'm thinking about it.

I can't believe I just wrote that.

Today the San Francisco trio met for a hill workout. I thought after yesterday I'd be crawling to the finish. I ended up with 6.9 miles, which included 4 hill sprints (I think I'm going to need those!). It was a great run - the three of us haven't run together in a long time, so it had a little bit of a "reunion" feel to it. We'll be logging a lot of miles together soon, that's for absolute sure!!!

Catching up (again)

2010-04-21T14:31:00.004-04:00

Every now and again I take a hiatus from blogging and commenting, and I'm always sorry I've done both. I have kept up with the blogs I follow regularly, and one theme is prevalent: Spring has sprung! In Florida, the biggest thing springing is the mercury, so I here I am learning again how to run in the heat and humidity. Speaking of hiatuses, it was nice to have one from the heat, and I'm going to enjoy this one from the cold! It was one wicked cold winter, that's for sure, so my fellow athletes and sunshine seekers are in fine spirits as day after day our temperatures reach the 80s and beyond.

As sometimes happens, that last (long) race of the season completely turned me off from running for - I don't know - 3 or 4 days? LOL. There is a time when you know you are burned out on racing/running; if you are lucky you figure that out before you race one last time, not while you are racing one last time. But even still, when all is said and done, sometimes you just have to enjoy the ride, and the fact that you are able.

The running I did last week was limited to a few miles in boot camp here and there. As we headed out for one of those runs, I jokingly said to Ma'am "I hate running." She said, "Those who don't run, coach!" Later we discussed my doing just that on Tuesday nights, running the new running club's Tuesday night speedwork. I'm not so much a coach as a facilitator, helping by leading the drills she'll prescribe each Tuesday night.

Sunday morning I returned to our usual trail. I haven't been there in weeks, so it was refreshing to go back. Somehow I had missed or ignored the forecast of impending rain, so I was surprised when it started at mile 5. Though I was absolutely drenched and my eyes were blood red when I returned from my 10-mile run, I still had a great run. Jenny and Jamie were doing 14 miles so Cherise and I ran the first 5 with them, and then Cherise and I turned around and headed back since we both had somewhere to be. My somewhere to be was the Outback Pro-Am, which ultimately was rained out. Cherise and I don't get a chance to run just the two of us very often, so we had a good time chatting and dodging puddles. I had somehow managed to turn off the GPS on my Garmin, so my miles were not being recorded. Messing with that entertained me for the first couple of miles or so. I finally got it going at mile 4, so I ended up only recording 6 miles of my run.

Last night was the return to regular Tuesday night speedwork. Leslie had prescribed us 4x800s and 4x400s. Easy stuff, right? Not when it's been a while since you did it! One of the guys and I had kicked around the thought of tacking on some 100s (I said) or 200s (he said) at the end, but by the 2nd 400 we were both saying that we thought what we'd been told to do was plenty. I was happy with my 800 times but my 400 times were pitiful.

800s - 3:35, 3:35, 3:39, 3:39

400s - 1:43, 1:43, 1:43, 1:40

Total mileage: 4

(Yay for consistency at least, no?)

These speedwork sessions are so great for me because they fall during Gregory's TKD class, so we are heading down there anyway. Also, I love the group atmosphere and camaraderie of doing speedwork as a team. Let's face it: Speedwork can really suck sometimes, so it's nice to be in the trenches with others. Unless you are incredibly disciplined (and most runners are - I am not!) it's easy enough to drop an 800 or 400 off, or wuss out a little on the effort, or modify the plan to how you are feeling, rather than what you should be doing. When there are several of you together giving it 100%, it still hurts, but misery loves company!

IronGirl 15k Race Report

2010-04-11T21:57:00.007-04:00

The good news is that it was a PR at 1:26:29. The bad news is that I hated every blessed minute of it.

The race itself was stellar. As a twist on a familiar phrase: It wasn't them, it was me.

This race was Emily's idea. In Emily's signature way, she had taken an entry form and filled half of it out before she even asked her dad and me if we were available. We were, but I reminded her of the bridges. That's okay, she said in her 9-going-on-30 way, we'll just go and practice on them. As is Emily's luck, we'd learn shortly thereafter that the 5k course we'd run as a team (defending our 3rd place title from last year) would NOT cross over the Clearwater bridge this year, but instead turn just before it. Team Tink-n-Belle were going to work for our sub-25s and kick some serious mother/daughter 5k butt.

Unfortunately, Emily's luck would turn. On March 26, Emily fell - hard - and broke her wrist so badly that she had to be sedated for it to be set. Ever optimistic (especially when she escaped what had seemed to be inevitable surgery), we decided to wait until her follow-up ortho appointment on April 7 to decide whether she could - at the doctor's discretion - run the 5k after all. We had hoped for a short cast, but instead she got one that keeps her arm at a 90 degree angle at the elbow, preventing any radial movement of the wrist. She decided that was too cumbersome to run in, despite the doctor's approval of her racing (he's a sports ortho - he understood. :)).

On Friday I went to packet pick-up and requested that our 2 5k entries be made into one 15k entry. At ~4 miles less than a half marathon, I knew I was more than adequately trained for the higher mileage. Running the 5k without Emily would be sad for me. They were wonderfully accommodating, and approved it without hesitation. The expo - though small - offered REALLY awesome swag. Besides the signature duck (an extra sent home to Emily by the Aflac folks!), there was a full-sized bag of foot soak, an amazing string bag with lotion and spray, lip glosses, Luna bars, etc. etc. etc. After being somewhat unimpressed with IronGirl last year, I was already feeling the IronGirl love after the showing on Friday. The expo was at Clearwater Beach's newest hotel. Three of us (including Tri-a-Licious Teresa) ate lunch on the 8th floor overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Nice!!

Saturday morning came FAR too soon after a late Friday night. I was in no mood to run a race, at all. Chuck was heading out of town :(. Jonathan surprised me by coming out fully dressed and ready to go - he had set his alarm to go with me. The three of us headed out and I kissed my number one cheerleader goodbye as he headed east to catch his flight while Jonathan and I headed west toward the beach.

My inability to remember to check race times meant that I was *early* for this one, and I snagged one of the last free parking spots available. Until 7 I thought the race started at 7. (It started at 7:30.) It was chilly but I was glad for that - I figured this would be one of the last races where I would wonder whether arm warmers would have been a good idea or not.

I didn't want Jonathan to be by himself too long so I waited until the last minute to line up. With 2700 women running both the 5k and 15k (both started at the same time) I ended up way back in the corral. It was still fun as I was surrounded by friends and we chatted until Clearwater police finally gave the green light, and the race was started several minutes late.

It was so crowded we had to walk to the starting line and then it seemed to shake out a bit, but it was VERY crowded and I was having a hard time finding a spot to actually *run*. Since I didn't have my race buddy there to go through my checklist, and since I'd left in the dark, I did not have my sunglasses. I have very light eyes which are very sensitive to the sun (especially my left eye, one of the gifts left behind by the iritis) and the sun was rising in the east - the direction we were heading. I was nervous about tripping since my sight was impaired so I ran VERY conservatively that first mile. Experience tells me that I can easily make up time in consequent miles, so I wasn't too concerned.

...until miles 2 and 3 seemed to last forEVER. That's when I realized I was absolutely and totally and terribly burned out from racing. That was also when I realized that I probably should have stuck with the 5k.

I know this race report is getting long, but I have to take you inside the mind of an endurance runner. We have this weird misperception of distance sometimes. When you run anywhere from 5-20 miles, to sometimes 26 (point two), and a race or run or whatever is LESS, you tend to discount it somehow. You somehow forget that yes, you can do 13.1 miles but 9.3 is not nothing. Most of the time it's not a big deal and you make the proper adjustments, but sometimes the mind takes on the voice of a whiney bratty child. You can almost hear it - "What?! You said this was short? Since when is 9 miles short? Mile SIX and we still have 3.3 to go? Man this SUCKS!"

I swear that was rolling through my mind like a stuck record through the.entire.race. That and the complaint about that we had to take TWO laps through some neighborhoods (I had looked at the 15k race course once when I was checking to see if the 5k had changed and had noted that, thinking, Ew, that doesn't look like fun and got reminded of that when I actually was running it). There were women running along with me who were ALL fired up and thanking the police officers and cheering for the entertainment and clapping for our leaders and I thought, Dang, that's usually me and I am so NOT feeling it today. Instead, I felt blisters and hot sun on my back and that I had to go potty (yes, I did) and all kinds of yuckiness. I walked in the exact same spot on both laps (why? That was psychological, no doubt). I was a running attitude problem, no kidding.

With one mile to go I saw Teresa and I told her I was hating life and she said we were almost done and that helped, tremendously. Then as I was running for my life toward that blessed finish I saw someone walking and I said, "C'mon, we're almost done!" and she started running. I ran ahead and I realized that I could.not.stop - I couldn't tell her to run and then walk as I got even closer to the finish line.

At the finish line I tried to see the time clock (that always helps - you want to keep that minute number as low as possible) but for some stupid (unknown?) reason it was BEHIND the finish line blow-up. ??? If I had any criticism of the race itself it would be that - finish clocks are supposed to be HIGHLY visible to finishers, but maybe there was an issue with the wind or something since the race is RIGHT on the beach. (Another note - I was all ready to be pissy they didn't have coffee again this year, until I happened to overhear that they had a generator problem and they had to sacrifice coffee production for food production, so they are forgiven ;-))

Once I finished I was so stinking grateful to be finished - it was the same grateful I feel after a marathon and after my bronchitis half marathon. 9.3 miles kicked my ass. Okay, so it did feature two trips over the Clearwater bridge but honestly, I was actually looking forward to that, so no excuses there. Since I am trying to be better about my fueling and after-fueling I took a Muscle Milk (gross!) and a Gatorade and a sponge and went off to lick my wounds. Once I got over myself I found Jonathan and we attempted to wait in line for the IG's catered breakfast, but opted to go buy breakfast instead.

All in all, the race itself was EXCELLENT this year. They "reversed" the course - instead of heading out from the mainland it headed from the beach which made for a beautiful pre-race view. I have a little love affair going with the bridge now (I think part of the fact that I have overcome my fear of them and now love that one for that) so I was looking forward to the chance to tackle it again. The lap thing actually ended up being cool because the winner looped around and lapped me, so I got to run with her for - oh, I don't know - 30 milliseconds -and during that time I thought she'd actually shown up late and was just trying to make up time, LOL.

The swag was fabulous, the chance to escape to Clearwater beach to pick up my stuff and be ready to run Saturday morning was great (and the extended water-view lunch with great company didn't hurt, either!). Again, it was me. I am done. I am ready to loosen up the race schedule a bit. I am ready for some shorter-distance races. I am ready to take a breather and get fired up again in time to start training for my fall marathon. Too bad IronGirl always gets the brunt of my displeasure, because it really is a wonderful way to spend an April morning.

Imma Be!

2010-04-01T14:13:00.002-04:00

I got my Brooks ID uniform in the mail today! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I'm almost excited enough to put it on for a test run right now, except that I do not have time to do that. It sure has added a tiny pinch extra to the guilt I feel for not going with Jenny and Mark this morning on their run. Decisions made at 5:30am are not usually ones you appreciate come 8am.

The uniform is black and yellow, which caused Chuck to break out in song when I initially told him weeks ago, when I learned I had been accepted into the program and that it came with RUNNING CLOTHES. (What's better than that, I ask you??). Anyway, Imma Be is one of my current favorite songs, even though I myself declared it totally stupid the first 900 times I heard it (everywhere!). Damn Black Eyed Peas! I think they put some sort of aural crack in their songs - you get hooked!!

So anyway, running and I will not be getting together today despite the swanky new duds. Instead I will be off with my new favorite sport, swimming. I am reassuring Running Kathryn that the new thing I have going on with Swimming Kathryn is to benefit Running Kathryn. I will not abandon running. Ever. Unless they really do have swim marathons. Then I might have to rethink everything.

I wonder if Brooks will send me a bee colored swimsuit?

&*@&$ Garmin!

2010-03-31T08:40:00.002-04:00

I have such a love/hate relationship with that dang thing! Oh, how I missed it on Saturday, but days like today I want to throw it into an alligator infested pond and never see it again!

I met Jenny and Mark again for their run, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. I was going to do the same Bat-run, but my stupid Garmin decided to click off at .91. I don't know why. For all I know I turned it off at the light or something and forgot to turn it back on but it's better to assume it's the gadget rather than the girl. After I left Jenny and Mark I had to stop by and say hello to the folks at the pro-shop at the golf course (on my way to the bathrooms, of course!). I'm a regular fixture there when I run in the 'hood. The total time was 1:03 but I have no idea how much of that time was spent running (I just know I started at 6:41 and ended at 7:44.) Garmin says my average pace (running) was 8:47. That makes me happy, so let's go with that. I know for certain I ran over 6 miles, though the Garmin says 4.91.

I am relatively pain-free from the swim last night but after the clubhouse stop I felt really stiff on my right side. I only breathe on one side when I swim so I expect to be somewhat unbalanced after. I stretched really well when I got home and feel better. It feels like the plantar fasciitis that was threatening is backing off. Whew.

Tuesday night swim

2010-03-30T21:42:00.003-04:00

I decided on a swim. I had to wear old shoes and old inserts this morning since my shoes still hadn't dried out from Saturday's adventure, and I was feeling it in my feet as they day went on. It didn't help I was a scatter-brain today and had to go up and down the stairs because I kept forgetting why I'd gone up (or down) in the first place.

The air was cold but the water was warm. I spent the first few minutes acclimating and then did a 400 warm-up as prescribed. Then she gave me 4 sets of drills to do as 100s. I seemed to be exasperating her somehow; I'd ask her what drill to do next and have her describe it to me, and she kept saying "You know..." and then describe the drill as though I should already know it. As we went along it occurred to both of us that she had me mixed up with another swimmer. We both realized then why 1) I didn't understand the drills and 2) why I didn't respond when she called me by a different name, LOL.

After the drills I did the pyramid I did so sloppily last Thursday when I was interrupted by the rain. When I got that done she asked me if *I* was done and I said no, so she had me participate in some sprint 50s. Man, were those hard!! We had to complete them in under a minute, and get the remainder of the minute for rest. I thought I'd have 20-30 seconds to rest - I was humbled when I only had 8. I ended up doing 1, 2 and 2 (total 250). I then happily sidled off to do a 200 cool-down.

Total swim: 1950

Tuesday 10k

2010-03-30T10:43:00.002-04:00

With boot camp on hiatus this week, I headed out this morning to meet Mark and Jenny for a run. I'm always a bit apprehensive when I join them - they are both so quick and I am afraid I am holding them back - but they seem to truly not mind the extra company. I am pretty proud of myself when I am able to hold the pace AND engage in some conversation, even if it comes out sounding.punctuated.like.this. :) I think it's cool they get that hour and a half to spend together like that, and I am glad they don't mind a third wheel.

Here I have to interject that the weather was absolutely FANTASTIC. It was cool, humidity-free and the clear skies allowed a 100% full moon (I know it's 100% full because my iGoogle Gadget told me so!). It was also rather luxurious to get out of bed at 6:20 and begin my workout at 6:40. I felt like I was sleeping in!

I ran with Jenny and Mark until about mile 4.25, and then they headed out for ~4 more while I turned around and headed for home. When I got home my Garmin read 6.18 so I decided to round it to a 10k. My total time was 54:19 - average 8:45/mile.

Tonight I will either do speedwork or take the swim class. I want to take the swim class but I need the speedwork too...

Belle and The Beast - Adventure Race Report

2010-03-29T15:39:00.004-04:00

I have to start this race report on Friday night - 6:40pm Friday night. Chuck and I were hanging out in the front yard enjoying adult beverages (you know that means beer for me) and fighting about how to best put the bike rack on my minivan. He's Mr. Read the Instruction Manual and I'm NOT (we are one of those reversed couples - you know, where I am more like the guy and he is more like NOT the guy --- he's a manly man, but I am the don't-ask-for-directions, don't-read-the-manual, just-use-duct-tape rare steak-eating caveman kind, and he's more the cautious, detailed, measure-twice-cut-once, soup-and-salad civilized kind). While we were thinking that would be our biggest obstacle of the night, we would find out we were wrong, as a crying Emily is escorted to us by our friends and neighbors, her arm hanging precariously at her side.

Ugh.

As much as I like to count things, I have no real count for the number of arms and legs and ankles and wrists which have been broken since my four kids have come into this world. It's a LOT, and every one of them has been a victim. We thought that Jeremy's bilateral broken arms could not be topped but we would be proven wrong. The one thing I knew for absolute sure - this child's arm was broken.

So we put her in the car and headed to Urgent Care for what I'd learned to be the routine: Xray, confirmation, temporary splint, referral to an ortho, back to adult beverages and lamenting about insurance and healthcare. WRONG. In all of my years of parenting, I have been the brave and solid one during the various health crises. I've been puked on, bled on, peed on and pooped on. I've seen a multitude of injuries and enough films to qualify me as an Xray tech. Emily's Xray was the first ever to make me nearly pass out. The urgent care doctor told us he was done with us, and Emily would need to go to the ER for a "reduction" under sedation.

That ordeal finally ended about midnight, and we tucked in around 1am - three of us in the bed, essentially napping until the 5:30am alarm. If there was any comfort, it was that our friends and my teammate weren't any better rested - Jenny been on a 1-day, 10-hour round trip to Miami, Carin was flying home from Cali, and Lori was moving.

I finally had my meltdown at 6am Saturday morning when I was attempting unsuccessfully to put our bikes on the van. Among the expletives was the decree "THIS IS WHY I DON'T DO TRIATHLONS!" Getting all that equipment together while under a case of nerves... I'm just not cut out for it!

Fortunately we had a good hour plus drive to the park where the race would take place so we could rest and get our thoughts together. We had no idea what to expect from this race and therefore no idea how to fuel. Or dress. Or what to carry. Or leave behind. A few questions to those in charge didn't leave us any more enlightened, either.

Finally they gathered us for our pre-race instructions. We were to bike, run to the canoes, canoe, run back to the staging area, and somewhere in there complete 4 game-like tasks. One was a bean bag throw (AKA cornhole - yay - I practice that at home during football season!). One was a puzzle (yay - Jenny loves puzzles!). The other was to gather 5 different colored easter eggs - one teammate was to do this blindfolded while the other directed. We also had to fill a trashcan with water squeezed from a sponge we'd filled from a bucket about 10 yards away. The games could be completed at any time, so Jenny and I opted to do the bike portion first. I think we figured this would be the easiest part; rumor had it that it was a 6-7 mile bike ride - how hard could that be for a couple of marathoners?!

HARD, as it would turn out. INCREDIBLY hard. The bike trail was like nothing I had ever experienced in my life - on bike or on foot. The recent rains had about 50% of the trail under water or muddy and mucky - impossible to bike through. What wasn't mucky was ridden with roots - the size of the smaller part of a baseball bat. Our bikes were in no way built for this kind of biking, and we spent a lot of time hopping off and then hopping back on, dragging our bikes through the mud in the meantime. We let a lot of people pass us. That seemed strange - two of the most competitive people I know, Jenny and me, were letting folks PASS?? But we couldn't in good conscience hold the people behind us up on this single lane course.

At some point the path started to become navigable and Jenny got ahead of me. When she did I said I was relieved, because she could then stop telling me to "stay on!" as she'd done over and over again, LOL. She countered that she most certainly would and could as she was a mother with eyes in the back of her head. *sigh* We made friends with two women ahead of us, who told us we'd biked 3 miles in 53 minutes. THREE MILES IN FIFTY-THREE MINUTES?! Crap, I could have run faster with my bike held over my head!

We finally emerged the bike route covered nearly head to toe in Florida mud (which is mud unlike any in the whole wide world - remember this is the land of creepy crawly critters, and our mud is better described as black MUCK). My right shoe and sock was soaked and black. Somehow I'd thought it prudent to keep my left shoe dry and clean so I was better prepared to run.

Jenny and I whipped through the four game challenges like pros and then headed out for the run. Yay! A run! A teensy little 2 mile run! Woo hoo! Off we go! So it's hot!? We're running. We love running! It's what we do!

Until the red arrow signs we'd been following pointed left - into grass. A grassy wet mucky field. Oh. We are road runners - we aren't trail runners. We certainly aren't muck runners.

We tip-toed and shuffled and side-stepped and negotiated the path. It was really hard on our legs and really REALLY hard on my psyche. I practically know exactly how many steps in a mile, and this "about a mile" stuff was really not doing me right. I was Garmin-less, the trail did not have mile markers, and it seemed like those canoes were about 4 states away.

Finally there they were! We strapped on our PFDs and were told which end was the back and which was the front (turned out we were told wrong after all, so we had to flip the canoe around once we were corrected at the shoreline). We came up with a paddle strategy and off we went! I really liked the canoe portion, except for the part where I almost got Jenny killed by running us into a tree limb and the part where we destroyed a complete eco-system by accidentally canoeing over it thinking we could just paddle through (we couldn't. We had to learn how to back up right quick). We got to the turn around and had another team on our butts. They started gaining on us and suddenly Competitive Jenny and Competitive Kathryn showed up to the party. We started rowing like maniacs - to the point that we came crashing into shore right into our new friends from the bike trail, who were innocently trying to launch their own personal kayaks. I had carefully tip-toed into the canoe to preserve what dryness my shoes had left when we'd taken off, but when we returned I said screw it, and stepped right into the water with both shoe-clad feet. Nice. Now I get to run back in those!!

Now back 2-ish miles to the finish! Once again we danced through the muck and the mud. The tenacious Jenny said that this was going faster than the way out - all we had to do was get to that tent "up there" and then it was downhill on asphalt back! Um. Jenny? We have to get UP THERE first!!!

By now Jenny was hungry, so she was turning into The Beast. She was going from "I don't care if we finish dead last" to "I'm hungry and need to eat so let's go". I was whining and carrying on about how hot it was and how I thought we were going to take it easy today? She was very kindly - but firmly - pointing out that we didn't have much more to go and for heaven's sake, I am a marathoner - get a grip!

I stopped for about an hour and a half at the water station (not really, but I would have liked to!) and then she was right - downhill and asphalt. Carin's sister later said it best: Once we were out there it was like our bodies said, "OH! This feels right...!" We were beat and a bit confused as to where we were actually going to be finishing (there was no timing clock, no official start, no official finish...). Jenny pointed out our visual finishing clues and urged me in - I fought it verbally but instinctively I picked it up to match her increasing speed. We finally got to the finish tent and had our time recorded. We'd learn later it took us 2:27 to complete the race - a time that earned us 3rd place as a team!

Chuck has watched me finish all of my 5 marathons and almost all of my 20 half marathons but this is the race he congratulated me the most for, LOL. He'd heard stories of how rough the bike course was and saw what a physical effort it was to complete our challenge. It was most definitely an adventure. It was about as "out of the box" as a race could be for both Jenny and me, since we are such control freaks about timing, and mile markers, and expectations both of ourselves and of the course we've chosen. I spent a lot of time laughing (mostly on the impossible bike course - and some during the blindfolded egg hunt) and some time whining, but overall it was a fun race. While Emily was being discharged from the ER on Friday I had joked with her nurse that I'd see her Saturday night with either a snake or alligator bite -I am happy I was wrong!!

I Want To Swim A Marathon

2010-03-26T17:29:00.004-04:00

Is that possible?

(No, I know it's not - it would take me 26.2 hours+...)

Last night I decided to venture out of my comfort zone - again - and try a swimming class. My friend Teresa was already doing the class and blogging about it, which made me feel a little better about attempting it since she seemed to enjoy it so much. I wasn't sure if it was going to be like swim team practice back in the day (which, for the record, I hated) or what. I was completely intimidated but I believe in conquering unreasonable fear. I can swim, it was safe, it was a good cross training exercise, it was free, .....there was no reason why not.

So I dug out my suit (and breathed a sigh of relief that it fit), my swim cap, my goggles and ventured over to the Y, where I learned the pool heater was shut off. Oh fab-u-lous. I panicked a little wondering if the cold water was a bad plan with my bronchitis, but as it turned out the water wasn't too bad. After freezing our tushies off the last few months it actually felt (a little) warm.

I drilled poor Teresa about what we were supposed to be doing (thank goodness she was kind and patient answering my questions). She instructed me to do a warmup until the instructor got there, so I did, swimming about 3 laps. At first I panicked again like I did last year and almost quit with the intent to try again when I was more well, but I'm not a quitter. By the third lap I had found my rhythm and began to feel really good.

The instructor arrived and watched me swim a couple of laps, and then advised me that I was 1) going too fast for an hour's worth of swimming (that made me struggle a bit in my head. Fast is good!! FAST IS GOOD! but I realized that sometimes, fast is not good) and 2) I was raising my arms too far out of the water and losing efficiency that way. She also said I kicked too much which would be fine for swimming fast but would wear me out big time. Then she taught me a drill (which I failed at because of my high reach) so she changed my drill to finger drags, which would re-train me to keep my arms lower. After a miserably messed up first 2 laps, I suddenly fell into the rhythm of that and what do you know... my stroke was repaired.

That done, she instructed me to do a ladder, which consisted of a sprint 25, 50 alternate stroke, 75 drill, 100 freestyle, 100 free, 75 drill, 50 alt, sprint 25. She then said that sometimes we could do a pyramid, topping the 100 free with a 200. Um, hello. That sounded a bit like a challenge, so then I decided I was doing that. I didn't finish it, I don't think. It started to rain during the first part of the pyramid (I was doing the 100 free) and I had to scramble out of the pool to put my Blackberry under shelter. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do then so I just started it over. I got through the 200 and the 100 but then joined the group on some 50 drills. I have *no idea* how much swimming I ended up actually doing. I have no idea how to keep count and I'm lost without a Garmin to tell me everything I need to know about everything. I guess I'll figure that out eventually.

The main thing I took from the workout (besides my sore arms this morning) is that I love swimming. LOVE IT. It was such an exhilarating workout. I knew I was working hard yet it didn't feel hard, it wasn't a struggle like running can be. I told Chuck when I home that I feel so at home in the water; he said of course, where else would our little two fishies (Gregory and Emily) have gotten it?

So now my new routine is starting to fall into place. I need to fill in the prescribed distances and speeds to start making some improvements. I am going to use the Run Less, Run Faster principals and run three key workouts: Tuesday speedwork, Friday tempo (which will actually be running hills with Jenny and Carin - but that's a fast run AND hilly, so it'll work), Sunday long. Saturday I'll add some miles with the Will-Run-for-Starbucks crew, plus the running I'll do in bootcamp. Thursday I'll swim and Wednesday I'm going to try to work in bike rides. I just have to write it all out nice and neatly on a calendar with some goal races until marathon training begins again...

I'd Rather Be (Half) Marathoning...

2010-03-25T08:17:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was our PT test for the end of the March boot camp session. I improved my sit-ups and push-ups (heaven knows how since I missed so much boot camp) and my mile test was what I expected. (7:37) It was a pretty painful - it's amazing how just a one-minute difference in a miletakes such a toll on the cardio-vascular system. I would have much rather been running 13.1 at a slower speed. Fortunately, doing these runs doesn't seem to be hindering my ability to heal; I actually feel a little better for while afterward. I guess it's like they used to say about red-lining a car - it just helps to get the gunk out a lot faster. (I love car metaphors.)

Thank you so much for the supportive comments and congratulations regarding my race this past weekend! I would have understood if you'd verbally bopped me over the head for doing it :). Chris, I am glad you stopped by and read my race report. Thank you for the hard work you put into each and every race. I look forward to watching your series grow and grow!

Race Weekend

2010-03-22T10:12:00.002-04:00

On Thursday of last week I was diagnosed with bronchitis. The clock was ticking down to Sunday so I didn't even wait to see my general practitioner on Friday. I know these lung things can turn on you real quick, so I wanted to be seen.

Once in the exam room, I said, "Okay, listen here doc!" and told him I needed to be well by Sunday. I said I had a race. He said, "What kind?"A half marathon. He looked dubious. I said, "It'll be my 20th." Still doubtful. "It'll be my 3rd this month." At that he said he could put me on an aggressive plan which would include a steroid shot, some broad spectrum antibiotics, an official prescription for the albuterol hits I'd been taking illegally off my kids' nebulizer already, some Mucinex and good ol' ibuprofen. After negotiating the antibiotics (the Cipro family wrecks havoc with the tendons) and a trip to CVS, I was set.

I do not know why I was so hell bent on getting this race done but I was. I think because it was my last half for a while and because it was a nice round number 20 for me. I also have an extraordinary stubborn side and I just could not even think about not doing this race unless I absolutely could not do it. Another thing that I considered is that I am pretty medically savvy. I have always had a strong instinct about how the body systems work and I was confident I knew my own limits. I was not afraid to drop out of this thing at any time. But I also didn't want to not do it unless I knew that it was truly a bad idea.

Jenny and I both got a free entry to the Main Street Mile so we decided to do it. I waffled on whether I should or could but the stars aligned to make it possible. I hadn't felt well enough to make the 5-mile run I had intended Saturday morning but one mile seemed perfectly doable, of course.

Getting my race number and being officially entered proved to be chaotic (I ended up running as a sanctioned bandit) so I didn't have time to figure out how I was possibly feeling. Once they yelled go and I started running I knew it was baaaad. BAD! In the end I didn't know how hard I was running (at the half-way point my Garmin told me it was a 7:21). I finished in 7:36 which is a PR for that course (not a one mile PR but not too far off it, either). As a bandit I don't have official results but that's what my Garmin said. I didn't know what the clock said because I was just so grateful to be done it could have said an hour and a half - I didn't care! Once we were done I suddenly felt like my chest was on fire. Jenny and I were trying to negotiate the finish and whether there were awards (sometimes there are for this race, sometimes there aren't ...?) and figure out where Chuck and the kids were before the parade started and stranded us on the wrong side of the road. I was so freaked out by the pain that I couldn't think! Then I realized I shouldn't run the half marathon the next day - if I can't run 1 how do I run 13? I was so stinking upset and I couldn't gather my thoughts. I have a very annoying (even to myself) tendency to think that I need to make immediate and final decisions all the time. I was so wrapped up in feeling so bad that thought that I needed to decide RIGHT THEN, at 12:37:36pm on Saturday afternoon, whether I should run Sunday morning. I finally got the storm in my head calmed and decided that I'd take it hour by hour and just chill out about it! I don't chill out easily so this was an exercise in patience for me.

As Saturday wore on I continued to feel better. I was well past the feeling of being SICK per se, I just had these lovely coughing bouts that are characteristic of bronchitis and lung-itises. :) No fever, no weakness. We had a nice meal, I had some wine even, and I headed to bed Saturday night not entirely sure what tomorrow would bring.

I didn't sleep well at all, and I think it's because I was nervous I was doing a very dumb thing. On paper, it was a very dumb thing. And there was no really solid reason why I should be doing this very dumb thing except that I wanted to - which sounds more like the reason a 10-year-old would give than a 38-year-old would.

Sunday morning we got Mark and headed the hour south to Ft. De Soto beach, the place where I had bombed the Halloween Halfathon just 20 weeks prior. As we arrived I still wasn't sure if I was going to do this race, but went and got my bib and t-shirt and EXTRA t-shirt for completing all four of the Beach Halfathon Series. But I hadn't yet. I almost gave the t-shirt back and said I'd come get it if I earned it, purist that I am. It was a good choice not to because it was cooler than we expected so Chuck wore it for warmth instead.

The race, which also features a 5k, makes a 5k loop before heading out for the additional 10 miles. At any point on that 5k loop I could have stopped and been well within comfortable walking distance to the finish line. Still feeling okay - well, actually! - at the start, plan B was to do that first 5k and see how I felt. I had my BlackBerry and my inhaler, and I was not afraid to use either. I'm not stupid - I'm stubborn, but I'm not stupid - I knew full well that I could call Chuck at any point and he'd drive to get me, and I knew if I needed to I'd do exactly that.

The race started, and I spent the first half mile talking to myself, "Go slow. Don't rush. It's okay they are going by you. Just finish healthy. Stay slow." (Kinda the opposite of what I typically say to myself, LOL). Just past the half mile mark I see can see the 1-mile clock across the street, and the flashing light of the bicycle with a runner right behind him. The clock reads 5:33. In my self-absorbed state I did not realize that was our race leader, and he had just run a first mile at 5:33. Wow. He'd go on to win the race with a 1:08 - about the same time the average runner runs a 10k. Double wow. When I came upon that same clock it read 8:3x. I was confused - I was running slow - that clock is messed up - no matter that runner was looking so fast! Then my Garmin beeped and confirmed: 8:36. Well check me out! I'm running pretty darn fast and I feel good! Two more miles to see how the old lungs are hanging in there, woo hoo! Mile two and mile three felt fantastic (and were quick too at 8:39 and 8:45) so I flew by my waiting family at the start with a big grin and two thumbs up. I made a decision - I'm going to run this!

After my exuberant rush through the staging area and around mile 4 I realized I'd made my decision but I still needed to be smart about it. Besides lack of sleep, I had an issue with lack of fuel. I had tried SO HARD to eat something before the race started but I literally gagged (my antibiotic has robbed me of an appetite, which normally would be a side effect I'd embrace). I had strapped on some shot blocks but lost them somewhere. There is no Gu on the course but there are oranges, and there are plenty of potties so I knew I needed Gatorade (Gatorade screws with my stomach something fierce). It's funny but all that focus on taking care of myself made those first miles go by so fast! It was windy but I really didn't notice. I still love my kick-ass playlist and this is a course on a trail with a lot of experienced runners (and no real crowd support) so I could safely turn my iPod WAY up and really get into the music. Unfortunately I felt like I was running faster than I was and I did stop a walk as I felt it was warranted, so my pace slipped into the 9's pretty quickly, and held steady between 9:15-9:30.

When we got to the turn around mark, which is at a point and looks out on the Sunshine Skyway bridge (a breathtaking view) I realized that my lungs felt better than they had felt in a week! I thought it was very strange that at mile 7 of a half marathon I was feeling the best I had in 6 days, but Mark pointed out later that it was probably breathing in that salty sea air that was accelerating the healing process. I began to wonder at this point if I should pick it up (I knew from the half-way clock reading 1:01 that I wasn't going to break 2:00 today) but then realized that it was bad enough I was being foolish in running, I didn't need to be foolish and get greedy with the time, too.

And then it started to rain. There was wind and rain and someone with a windsurfer with the Skyway Bridge in the background and runners all around me and I felt better than I've felt in a while and I got a little choked up and emotional. This is when a Sunday morning long run - race or not - becomes my church. I spent the next mile thanking God for beautiful beaches and wonderful supportive families, modern medicine and a strong immune system, legs that can carry me through 13.1 stubborn miles because I wanted them to. For as long as this body does what I ask it to I will forever be grateful. I know there will be a day when it won't, but every time I give it a challenge, and it accepts and allows me to be free to go where my mind wants us to go, I will be grateful. Maybe that's what this race was about - the empowerment of building a body strong and resilient enough to go where it - on paper - shouldn't.

I don't remember too much of the rest of the race. At mile 12 I walked some, and I was okay with that. I stopped at 12.5 and got Gatorade, since I had promised myself I would hit every water and food station (and any necessary bathrooms) as needed. (I hit one bathroom, for the record.) A guy came running up behind me and a girl walking beside me at that water stop and said, "Come on ladies, follow me to break 2!" and ran off. I couldn't break 2. The pack speeds it up the last half mile so you tend to get carried by that, but I didn't make any extra effort to finish off at a break-neck speed. When the curvy finish straightened out to the finish chute, I started to speed it up and realized just how much I had left. I had conserved a LOT, but that was okay. I finished!

The clock read 2:02:53. I was really surprised. I had truly expected to finish around 2:15 or so. It took me a minute to catch my breath but I felt awesome! I chatted with Mark and some others for a bit and then headed back into the finish chute to help cut chips and hand out medals with my family. We knew Mark was going to get an award for his 2nd place AG finish (yay!) and likely as a series AG award winner as well, so we planned to stay for that. Another friend from our neighborhood received an award for her AG for the race series. I paid attention to that part of the awards to cheer her win, and then resumed my chatting, so I was COMPLETELY shocked when I heard MY name announced as a series AG winner! I didn't even realize the award I won was for SECOND! I was so blown away - I kept asking if there were only 2 in my age group, LOL? Surely I had won by default! As it turned out there had been runner rankings - there were 18 contenders in my age group and as of that morning I was projected to get 5th place. I had finished 7 minutes quicker than my anticipated finish, which had in fact earned me 2nd. In addition, those of us who'd run all 4 races had received a medal for that. I left the awards ceremony clanking around three medals like a Goofy runner! :)

I am really glad I ended up running, needless to say. I slept in this morning and missed boot camp just to give myself the additional day of healing I had robbed myself yesterday. I feel terrific today. I love these Halfathon races and think they are really well done. The fact that there have been four and so many have done most or all of them has led them to have a community feel to them. The race director takes a lot of pride in taking good care of the runners and his loyalty is being returned with stronger and stronger turn-outs. The athletes that attend these races are top-notch and fun to watch. The fast pack of strong runners draws you in for your own strong race. A fun post-race party solidifies the community feel and festive atmosphere that draws runners to race in the first place. I'd say I'm sorry to see the season end, but I'd be lying. I'm glad it will be here again in the fall, but I'm ready to be done running half marathons for a while. I'm ready to concentrate on the faster, shorter distances ... until marathon training starts again!

Retail Therapy

2010-03-17T13:03:00.005-04:00

What do you get when you whine about your husband being sick?

The same %$@* thing is what.

Ugh.

What started out Monday night as a little cough similar to what happens have your laugh your butt off. I hadn't laughed my butt off so I started to worry a bit, and grabbed the vitamin C. This is where I feel really gypped (yes, that is the correct spelling, I looked it up and Safari also agrees). It used to be that I'd use a Zicam swab at the sign of anything but now I'm afraid I'll go hard of smelling, so now I just strap on for the ride. Dang. Vitamin C only tastes good - I don't think it helps all by its lonesome.

When the alarm rang at 5am (which I am still fully aware is 4am, TYVM), I had a full-on something going on - headache, sore throat and the cough had moved beyond laughing-your-butt-off status. I skipped bootcamp (feeling guilty about it until I thought about that I didn't need to be in there hacking and infecting others), but then called up the runner's strategy of mind over matter. I even told myself I'd be going to speedwork that night! My self said no, and reacted with a fever so I had no choice but to stay home. It also meant I was out for bootcamp TODAY because I figured if they don't want little school kids going to school until they are 24-hours fever-free, I probably don't need to be sweating and hacking all over a YMCA mat until I am fever-free 24 hours either.

So if you can't run and can't work out, what do you do? Why shop for running stuff, of course! Just as a fair reminder that you really are a runner, even if you are temporarily sidelined.

It started when I got an email from Inspired Endurance. The were announcing new beads for bead charm bracelets, and that's what Emily wears as her charm bracelet. She gets a new charm for each new PR or excellent performance (it's one of the things that motivates her) and she was due one for Armadillo. I called her over and she picked out a bead with a "dangle" charm we could inscribe with the race name, date, distance and time. I decided then I was jealous and wanted a similar charm bracelet so I bought two of the eventual 25 beads I'll need for my half marathon and marathons. (I already have a charm bracelet with 13.1 and 26.2 charms on it but it's ugly so I never wear it.)

Emily's bib number was drawn Saturday and she won a gift certificate to Road ID. Together we picked out this bracelet in pink.

I hope she'll wear it regularly, since it doesn't seem like a bad idea for my kids to wear some sort of vague identification. We put her name and city, and my number on it, and she was left with 3 lines to customize. She immediately said she wanted, The body can do what the mind tells it to do (Ma'am's mantra) and on the last line she told me to put, "Don't trample me!" I have NO idea what that means but it made me laugh so I went with it.

I got a replacement ID for my shoe ID, and got an interactive one. The interactive ID is a toll-free number for responders to call to get specific information about your medical history, needs, etc. It comes free with purchase for the 1st year, 9.99/year after that. I think it's a great idea for peace of mind and I almost wish I'd ordered an interactive one for Emily as well. I've been reading (and hearing) a lot more about runners and cyclists being struck by vehicles (a number sure to continue to rise with the epidemic of texting drivers) so it makes me feel a little better knowing I can get accurate information into the hands of those who might be needing it when I can't give it.

One last neat site I found while I was surfing and coughing (this one is free!):

Age-graded running calculator

My husand golfs, and he has a handicap. I've even gone with him while entered his numbers in a computer at a pro shop and I still don't understand what it really means, but I "get" that it means it puts everyone on a level playing field, so to speak. I guess when they calculate your score they take into account your handicap and that way you can play against Tiger Woods and still have a fair shake. (RIGHT? See, I don't know...) I even used to know what Chuck's handicap was but that went out the window with one of my regular memory-dumps where I try to free up some brain space.

Anyway, there is apparently an equivilant handicapping system in the land of runners, and that link up there will take you right to the site to do yours! I did mine for a 5k, and half marathon (in fairness I didn't use my 5k PR since it's been a gazillion years ago) and it put me in the ~58% which is *almost* local class. Emily got 66.22% which is between local class and regional class. Then of course she and I had to put in a range of numbers to see how we could get up into national class and world class (ain't gonna happen for me!). So if you have some time to kill and you are a total numbers nerd like me, take yourself on over to that calculator and see where you stand. :)

Last but not least, KC is giving away 3 pairs of Ryders Eyewear! Just go to her blog and follow directions!

The teeny percentage of me which is Irish would be remiss to not wish you all a Happy St. Patrick's day even though I read somewhere that nothing we Americans do has anything to do with Ireland or old St. Pat or the four leaf clover. You know, sometimes ignorance is bliss. I'd rather not know that Jesus was really born in August or that Mexicans don't really acknowledge Cinco de Mayo or that the Irish aren't over their in their Emerald Land toasting a little short snake-chasing dude with their green pints. Let me enjoy my holidays the way that Hallmark intended. So, as long as it's not contraindicated with Mucinex, you bet there's a green beer in MY immediate future!

Armadillo Run 5k Race Report and Sunday Long (?) Run

2010-03-14T18:56:00.002-04:00

First, the race.

As I mentioned, Jonathan, Jeremy and Emily - with me as her sidecar - were running this race. This was Emily's redemption race from Gasparilla and she loves the course, so I knew she'd run well. Jonathan and Jeremy didn't have too many goals for the race, but that's okay too sometimes. Sometimes you just want to be a part of it all, just to say you were.

As always, bib and chip pick-up were super-smooth, the directors kept us apprised of what was going on so we wouldn't miss the start, and runners from all over mingled and chatted until we all lined up together. It was a bit chilly so I had a teeny war going on in my head - should I shed my lightweight jacket or keep it on? If I'd been racing it most definitely would have come off but pacing I might need it. I finally decided at the last minute to yank it over my head, just as the horn blared the start. Oops! So I very expertly got it off, around my waist and still managed to hit start as we crossed the start mat without falling down. Nice.

The first half mile was Armadillo's usual cocktail hour - "There's Andy! There's Leland! Oh hey, I didn't realize you were running too! So how are the folks..." as you jostle through the crowd. I directed and led (as usual) and Jonathan, Jeremy and Emily hung tight. We lost Jeremy right at mile 1. Also about mile 1 I noticed a little girl about Emily's age up ahead. I very nonchalantly said, "Hey Em, that girl seems to be your age." That's all it took - she took off like a rocket until she was absolutely certain that not only had she passed that girl, she had enough distance between them to not risk being passed. Mile 2 clocked in at 8:16. At mile 5 of the course (for the 10k distance) there was a timer calling out times. He announced ours at that time as 16 minutes. At the time I thought he was at the mile 2 marker, and was shocked to hear our time. I had a brief celebration when I realized that not only was Em going to PR big time, but together we might make my 2010 goal to break 25 minutes!! It took running a bit longer and examining my Garmin (and the actual mile 2 marker) for me to realize that no, she was not running that fast. She was running fast, but today wouldn't be her big sub-25 day.

Somewhere in that third mile she began to get very whiney. At first she took it in good humor and asked me to distract her. I started talking about the wonderful spread of food at the finish she protested, "MOMMY! I am going to puke and you want to talk about FOOD!" Uh. Hmm. Works for me...? Then she said, "My bed! My comfy bed... I'll just think about that!" That worked for about 20 seconds and she started whining and protesting again. She said, "How many 400s?" With about .8 of a mile to go I told her we probably shouldn't be thinking in terms of 400s. Instead I said, "We're at 21 minutes, in 5 you'll be done!" Nope. No go. We just had to mentally limp that last half mile until she finally saw the finish and barreled in for a new PR at 26:35 (chip time)! Jonathan came in just under 30 minutes. He's faster but he had struggled on the course and was pleased with his time given the circumstances. Jeremy headed in at 35. He isn't the fastest but he said he had a good time - he doesn't much care how fast he does it and I admire that in him. We don't all have to be clock chasers.

After the race we got to celebrate as many of our friends received awards for their strong efforts that morning, placing in their age groups. One friend ran her 2nd ever 5k and landed 1st in her age group! It was really exciting and inspiring.

Some time afterward Emily and I were in the Y bathroom on the way to G's belt ceremony. She in one stall and I in another, she says, "Mommy, am I faster than you?" I said, "Well no, I kept up with you today." She said, "What's your PR?" I told her my PR (25:03) and qualified that I had earned that when I raced ONLY 5ks, that I'm not as fast now that I run longer distances. She asked me what my PR for say, the past year, was. I said, "I don't know, 26 and a half, maybe?" After a long silence I heard from the other stall, "Yeah. I'm going to be faster than you." Yes you are, baby girl. Long may you run.

This morning we got up at the old 5 am for a "7"am run. I was not fooled by the lit-up digital numbers on my clock and cell phone. I knew full well it was so NOT 6am. Ugh. I ratcheted out of bed comforted only by the fact that we were running *just* 8. Jenny picked me up and the skies looked just as they do at 6, even though the clock read 7. Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE daylight savings time??

The temperature was *perfect* though. Cherise was in the parking lot and said that a biker had warned her the park trail was under water at mile 4.5. After a bit of worry we got all excited because we wouldn't be heading to mile 4.5. It's the little things in a runner's world - like being an endurance runner with a light training day - that make us giddy. The run was a non-event (a good thing) as we chatted and caught up. On the way back I ran over something that reared up at me - a scorpion! I shrieked like the girl I am and Cherise and Jenny responded by making an immediate u-turn to come look at the thing. I've seen one, so I was good to keep my distance. Jenny said, "It's a crayfish!" so I sidled up to the thing, too! It looked like a teeny tiny lobster and it was all reared up on its tail with its arms held wide. What the heck did that little thing with its teeny-tiny little "claws" think it was going to do to big ol' US!? It was so funny! Jenny was afraid it would get smushed by a bike and escorted it off the road. I'll have to admit I thought for a second ... hmmm... Crawfish... does it have friends? Do we have butter? Fortunately for that little critter I've never gotten up the nerve to try one of its kind as a meal, so he was safe to head back into the swamp with all its other little creepy Florida critter friends.

I finished up the run behind Jenny and Cherise (sidenote: A controlled burn has destroyed some of my deer potties! What the heck?!) My pace was 8:59 but that included a stop and our little episode of Wildlife Rescue. When I got back Jenny had the tailgate up on her car and was serving homemade apple cinnamon muffins. Have I ever mentioned how fabulous it is to have a baking running partner? Yummy!

Dreadmill and Running Children

2010-03-12T13:19:00.004-05:00

The original plan for today was to meet Jenny and Mark in our well-organized "regular" way where they pick me up along the way and we run together. I had told her in an email I wanted to run even if it were raining, but the amount of rain that this area has seen since yesterday and the strength with which it was coming down made that an impossibility. Besides skipping altogether, this left our only alternative: The YMCA treadmills.

I don't know how many miles I ran because I don't trust the treadmills to be accurate first of all, and second of all I had to hop off a couple of times (yeah, I know, shocking) but we figure about 5.5 miles. I can't even believe I'm not in a catatonic state about the fact that I'm not entirely sure how far or how fast I ran today. I must be growing up!*sniff*

One of the big topics in the local running community is the wonderful Armadillo 5k and 10k set in the charming little city of Oldsmar. It's a great race, a great course, great amenities and close by. I coached a group of kids to run the 5k including my own Emily, who PRed on that course and loves it. It's a great race for kids because it's there-and-back - a fact that makes it psychologically easier as well as logistically better for parents who might be running in front of (or behind) their kids.

Three of my kids are running it tomorrow (we are excluding Gregory due to his foot) and several of my friends' kids are as well. I've discussed this some with my running friends, but one of the issues with raising a running son or daughter is how to train them! Let's face it, even runners don't always like to run and a lot of the time if we are out there running under duress it's because we actually love the racing part, and know we have to put in the time to make the race worthwhile. Children simply don't have that same kind of self-discipline in most cases, which means it falls on the parent to determine how much training should be forced and how much should be internally driven. I think if we are going to encourage our children to run races we have a responsibility to give them the tools - places to run, good shoes to run in, comfortable clothing, general guidance -- but at what point do you cross over from nagging, harassing, off-putting parent to the parent who is cultivating a natural talent and obvious underlying desire?

I thought about this more and more during the Olympics, where the parental involvement seems pretty crucial to the success of the athlete. It was poignantly underlined with the loss of Joannie Rochette's mother during the Games. You know in order for Joannie to be where she was, her mother probably dragged a protesting Joannie to lessons she wasn't in the "mood" to attend, or non-skating workouts she knew as an adult would be better for Joannie than Joannie knew herself. You know that Joannie didn't get there by herself; that her mother (and father) were integral to her being on that world stage.

How do these parents know when to push and when to lay off? Is the child the governor? At what point do potential future Olympians get turned off because there is just too much pressure? At what point could you potentially push a child from a life-long sport to absolute hate of it just because it became a chore rather than fun? But on the flip-side, how many adults say they wish their parent had pushed them to ________. (Continue their piano. Take Spanish III. Try out for the HS swim team.)

I don't mean to say I have future Olympians among my offspring, but I do struggle with how much I should push them and how much I should back off. What sets running apart from most other sports is that generally speaking, there is no organized athletic club where one can deposit them to let a coach take over. That seems kinda ironic coming from me, a running coach to kids, but truly, there aren't a lot of organizations set up to train kids. Furthermore, I saw my job as to train kids to run and enjoy the 5k distance, not push them to run it harder and faster. We did speedwork but I didn't push them beyond what they thought they were capable of. And let's face it - running is a mental sport. Otherwise there would be a t-shirt that reads "Running is a mental sport and we are all insane." You can't teach a kid to be insane - sadomasochism* comes later, along with martyrdom and self-sabotage. LOL.

With running becoming more and more mainstream, I think it's something to address. As I run these races made up primarily of women, I see the Chucks of the world out there spectating with babies on their hips and in strollers and "Go Mommy!" signs and I know those kids are going to want to do what Mommy does in a few years. How do we help them achieve all they can without creating a bunch of non-runners who declare they "hate running" because they were pushed to do it?

This is too heavy for a Friday - is it 5 o'clock yet? :)

*I just looked up the definition - I always thought of it as a dramatic way of saying hurting yourself on purpose but now I see there is more to the definition... Um. I don't mean it in its most literal sense, just so you know...

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-11T18:58:00.003-05:00

One of the blogs I follow has a Thankful Thursday post each week, which I think is a wonderful idea but far too organized for me. It would completely stress me out to have to remember that each week, but I love the idea and love reading hers.

So though I can't commit to a Thankful Thursday theme each week, the concept has prompted me to write a post about something - someone - I am thankful for.

When the subject of my running comes up with someone new, often they'll turn to Chuck and said, "Do you run?" We'll laugh and say, "Oh no. He's 'my people'!" I'm not sure when that term came into our lexicon, but we use it often. I'm never going to be Deena Castor, but Chuck is as dedicated a coach, cheerleader, barometer, and packhorse as Deena's husband. In short, I would not enjoy my sport and hobby nearly as much as I do without his support and unwavering enthusiasm.

Before dawn on a race morning, Chuck is the first up with the first alarm. Almost inevitably I will remind him that he doesn't have to come with me. He's nearly irritated at the suggestion; of course he'll be coming! As we head out the door, no matter how much of a wench I've been (an attitude directly related to my level of nerves) he'll run through the checklist: "Ipod?" Check. "Garmin?" Check. "Race bib?" Check. "Phone?" Check. "Timing chip?" Check.

He studies the courses and determines the best spots to see me. Despite hours in the cold, or humidity, or rain, or heat, he is just fine with a quick wave in those fleeting seconds as I run by.

He's become a willing volunteer at a half-marathon series I participate in. As I finish my race and drink beer and eat free pasta with my buddies, I spot him with a hand truck delivering water to the race finish.

When I finish I can count on him to be enthusiastic - or sympathetic. He knows what I was expecting for each race and when I see him at the end it'll either be with our characteristic fist-pump or sad shrug. As we make our way back home after the race he'll listen as I read off the mile splits, recounting each part of the race, helping me analyze what I did right and what I did wrong.

Last year we discovered "race dates". With our kids old enough now to stay home and sleep in, he and I will sneak off to a local race. I'll race, he'll watch and then we'll share in the race amenities or head to a breakfast joint to recap and reconnect. It's been a great way to sneak in a little time together without compromising too much of our "family time".

I am so grateful for my wonderful husband, who so enthusiastically supports my passion and makes it all possible. He is candid and supportive, enthusiastic and helpful. He has never begrudged me the time, money or effort that running has cost. He has helped me seamlessly integrate running into our family dynamic so that it becomes a way for us to spend time together, rather than apart.

Thank you, Chuck, for all you do for your family - most especially me.

Brooks and my Back

2010-03-10T15:30:00.005-05:00

I wondered if my back/shoulder pain would prevent me from being able to make my goal of going to all March boot camp sessions (with the exception of this past Monday's, which I knew I'd have to miss). I was still in a lot of pain last night, but before Chuck retreated to his death bed (more on this to come) I had him work on my shoulder and actually felt the "snap" as the nerve became un-pinched. I felt better almost immediately - not perfect, but better. I knew I'd have to reassess in the morning, as neck pain almost always gets worse in the night.

When my alarm went off it woke up Chuck, who told me he was sick. Oh have mercy, my man is sick - I'm outta here. I think it was the earliest I was up and out of bed for bootcamp since I started it in June. Don't get me wrong, I'm sympathetic, but ... he's a man. And he's sick. Any woman reading this is nodding her head in sympathy.

We didn't run in bootcamp which I was glad about. For some reason I really wasn't at all in the mood to run so even though the workout was hard, I was grateful when I spied the clock reading 6:45 and knew it was too late to head outdoors. I was also grateful that though I could feel the ghost of pain where my shoulder had hurt, it didn't much prevent me from doing anything she asked of us in class. I modified triceps pushups just to be safe, but honestly I probably could have done them properly and been just fine.

I stopped for some Nyquil for Chuck so he (we) would be put out of his (our) misery today but when I got home he was up and dressed.

Me: Hey! I thought you were sick.

Him: (sniffling) I am.

Me: Do you have a fever?

Him: Oh yes.

Me: Well then you have no business going to work and getting other people sick!

Him: I'm not sure I have a fever.

Me: Um. You just said you did.

Him: No, I don't think I do anymore.

Raise your hand if you've never had this conversation with your husband. (The only person with her hand up is still on her honeymoon...) Bless his heart. At least he got me to bootcamp - I think I would have gone this morning even if I were in traction! I thought I'd be playing nurse all day but he seems to be getting better. I'm so glad - I really hate it when he's sick :( :(

Last night while we were waiting for Gregory to test for his blue belt (yay Gregory) I got an email over my Blackberry welcoming me to the Brooks I.D. program. I am very excited about this. I do not know their criteria for choosing members but I did have to fill out an application and write out a little bio on myself about how I feel like I fit into the I.D. (Inspire Daily) program. No matter how I got picked, I'm happy to represent. I'm a big Brooks fan and have been ever since I was "prescribed" their Adrenaline model after a bout of painful plantar fasciitis. The ailment has never recurred since I switched to their shoe, and meanwhile (coincidentally enough) both Emily and Chuck had the same model recommended for them. So, we are a Brooks Adrenaline family - after we bought our first pairs we never looked at another brand! I'm still exploring the I.D. site but part of the program includes wearing their singlet to races. I just hope it goes well with a tiara...

Edit - I sent an email to my contact at Brooks and it is actually an honor to be chosen for this team which makes this even more exciting! After reviewing my other teammates' times I've gone from a mid-packer to a back-packer but I'm a-okay with that! Very cool!

10 Random Things

2010-03-09T08:10:00.011-05:00

First, my workout - boot camp this morning, where we ran 2 miles. My intent was to go easy and work on my form. The first mile was 9:08. The second was 8:07. The remarkable thing about the second mile is that it did not feel that much harder than the first. I am starting to wonder if I could do the sub-25 5k soon? During the wide push-ups I wrenched something in my back something fierce. It feels hot, so I know it's pretty inflamed. I'm trying to shake it out but it's pretty bad.

As I mentioned below, KC tagged me to write ten random things about myself. I love to read these on other blogs so I am happy to participate! It's kind of hard to come up with a list of ten, let me tell you, and some of these I might have already said throughout the years!

1. In two weeks I am running my 20th half marathon. My first was in 2006. I actually ran a full marathon before I ran a half, which in retrospect was a dumb idea. Six of the 20 will have been in the last six months. It is, hands down, my favorite distance.

2. I love to drive and think I am a good driver. I'm always envious of people who drive for a living though I think it might be too much of a good thing if I did it as a job, because then I wouldn't love it anymore...

3. I cannot handle newsprint. I do not touch the newspaper unless it's in its little baggie. *shiver* I feel the same way about chalk. My poor kids have to go to the neighbors' to play with chalk.

4. I love to sing but I'm not that great at it. I'm better than average but I'm not fantastic. My kids think I am fantastic, though, and sometimes that's all that counts. I do miss singing in a choir a LOT. I love different parts coming together as beautiful harmony.

5. I became a mother on Mother's Day to twins who were originally due on Father's Day. There is two hours and ten minutes between them. It wasn't my favorite Mother's Day.

6. I cannot sit still. I have a hard time watching movies, reading, sitting on the beach... things normal people do to relax. I hate getting my hair done. I always ask my stylist if she offers general anesthesia.

7. My sister and I grew up not getting along with each other at all, not sharing anything (we had separate shampoos in the shower, never dipped into each other's closets, etc.), and not having a thing in common. Now she and I are the best of friends and we talk several times a day. Wish we'd discovered that we really do like each other back when we lived together - we could have had a blast!!

8. Everyone who knows me knows how particular I am about grammar, punctuation and spelling (to the point where I really cringe, hard, if I make a mistake and want to send up a bat signal when I catch my error and correct it ("I know that was spelled wrong! I fixed it!!")). What I kinda keep to myself is that I'm a bit of a math junkie as well. I am constantly manipulating the numbers I come across - adding them, dividing them, seeing if they are all divisible by the same number, etc. It's one of the ways I entertain myself when I am running in a neighborhood - I do math with mailbox numbers...

9. I cannot find my car keys 99% of the time, but I astound Chuck every year at tax time when I am able to put my hands on whatever piece of paper he requests of me within a split second. Only once have I failed him, and we believe it's because I accidentally shredded the document. Oops.

10. I wish I could dance. I am a terrible dancer. As much as I love music and as much as I like to be active being a decent dancer would be really fun, I'd think.

*extra* #11. I usually don't do these because writing 10 random things about myself seems rather egotistical, even though I love reading with others do it. And when you really think about it, keeping a public blog about yourself (running or otherwise) can be also considered egocentric, LOL. Where do you draw a line??? :) I guess it's that mix of voyeurism and ego that keeps the blog world spinning (and fun!).

The rules of the 10 Random Things post is that I am supposed to tag other bloggers to do the same. I would LOVE to read 10 random things about:

Redhead (from Caution: Redhead Running)

B.o.B (from DiscomBOBulated Running)

Amy (Jenny's sister)

Cindy (Jenny's mom)

Audrey

Jamie (Running Diva Mom - how did you like the Princess race?? Race recap, too, please!!)

Though I love reading others blog about running and training, I also love the deviation from the theme to get to know the writers better.

Princess Half Marathon Race report

2010-03-08T10:54:00.005-05:00

Time: 1:56:56

We got to the expo on Saturday about 11am, and the newly re-branded ESPN sports complex was humming with activity. The effort of finding a parking spot rivaled the days of the marathon expo in January. Emily and I waited in line at the entrance to have our picture taken with two princes, and then we headed in to collect my bib and goody bag.

I was a little disappointed with the bibs - they weren't as pretty as last year's, LOL. I was happy to see I was in corral A. I don't make it into corral A very often, so that was a nice surprise! We were disappointed in the expo overall; the vendors were pretty crammed together so negotiating from booth to booth was a hassle. Women shopping is already a contact sport, add to that the "princess" theme, nerves for race day, and disorganized booth placement, and it was a recipe for misery. I needed a couple of things - shot blocks and throw-away gloves - so I got those plus a pair of arm warmers, which was one of my more brilliant moves this weekend (I didn't have many).

Of course you don't go to a race with the intent to do poorly, but I didn't have a whole lot pinned on this race. In the back of my head I wanted to do at least a 1:57 just so I could feel more confident about my time from last week but I knew there would be a lot to overcome to get that. I wanted to do the best I could but mainly have a good time. I have one more race at the end of the month and I really would prefer to pour my heart and legs into that one. That said, I didn't do too much "race prep" in terms of eating properly, and went to bed early only because of the race's early start time, not to "rest up". The only nod toward racing the next day was my insistence that we not go to a theme park, since standing around and side-stepping people really wears me out.

We had to be up at 4:30 Sunday to make the 6am start, despite being 10 minutes from the corrals. I know Disney's early start times are a point of contention for many runners, but I appreciate it. Last weekend's Gasparilla race started at 6am and it was nice to be done by 8ish and on to other things before mid-morning. An extra hour or so of sleep - for me - doesn't make that much difference during the little sleep you get the night before anyway, so I'd rather just get up and get on with it.

We met my 16YO neighbor/friend in the family reunion area, and then she and I made the trademark Disney marathon trek to the start corrals. We positioned ourselves in A somewhere in the middle - again, I should have been closer to the front. I try to respect the faster runners by lining up according to my ability but honestly, I think it might be time to just say forget it, and line up toward the front. No one else seems to seed themselves, why should I? I'm not going to toe the line but I'm tired of lining up behind runners who are running four abreast at a speed that does not warrant the front-of-the-pack position they think it does. I don't know too many McSpeedys who run 7 minute miles as a four-pack, so if you are running with three others, you might want to head toward the back a bit. (/PSA) I'm not cranky about it, just sayin'.

Obviously my little rant is leading to the fact that due to Disney's notoriously narrow start and the slower runners ahead, it was nearly impossible to get into a position to run at a comfortable speed. In addition to it being a slower mile than I wanted, it was a mile full of peaks and valleys speed wise, and very tedious. N and hung together as I lead the way zig-zagging around until we could not only run our pace, but run it consistently. Mile two wasn't much easier, but it was a bit faster. When that pace clicked in I commented to N that this is not a PR course and not a PR day. Mile three went a little better, but at mile four I started to feel queasy - again. I had felt sick the night before and now was starting to worry. Chuck had attributed it to nerves which might have been right if I had been at all nervous. I had tried my best to ignore it all morning but as you know, when you are running, your body likes to point out all of your inadequacies, temporary or permanent. I wasn't too upset about it given the fact that I had already scratched a good (race) time off my list - I just didn't want to get so bad I landed in the DNF column. N slowed for water and I popped into a port-a-potty for the first of what would end up being FOUR stops along the way. Since this is going to be an ongoing problem, I've developed a new strategy - I use someone as a "marker" for where I am, and then when I return to the field, I speed up to get back in that position. This first time I used N. When I caught her, she was starting to have a hard time. She runs HS track and there had been two meets that week, and that was starting to show up for her. I tried to encourage her but felt like I was making it worse because I was causing her to have to turn her music off to listen and respond to me. We ran along together for about a mile more and then I lost her at a water stop. :(

At about mile 6 we entered Magic Kingdom. Things were starting to improve for me at this point - I was settling into a rhythm, feeling okay and finally got my kick-ass playlist going on my iPod. (I had had a ton of technical difficulties at the start - my Garmin and my iPod both decided to misbehave right at 6am.) I had my arm warmers off to hand to Chuck and he was going to be handing me my sunglasses. I saw my family where they always are, and handed off my warmers and... !! Oops, Chuck forgot the sunglasses!! I waited a few seconds for us to figure out what to do and I finally said forget it, I don't want to wait! He looked upset and then I was upset that he was upset - and seriously thought about pulling out my Blackberry to text him that I was okay. As you can tell, half way through the race I thought this one was going down in the books as one mediocre race, time wise. I had no sights set on any kind of decent time, just a finish that left me comfortable enough to haul around Disney with my pretty new medal and my tiara.

My favorite fuel, cola Shot Block, was an unfortunate choice on an already upset stomach. I wasn't catching too many breaks on this one, but somehow the miles kept clicking by, one after the other. I had to stop a couple of more times and then suddenly I was at the mile 10 marker. Because of my Garmin issues I had to use the official clock to figure out my projected time. I hadn't even bothered to look at the 15k split to see where I was, so this 10 mile clock, with a 5k to go, was the first opportunity I had to assess how well (or not) I was doing. To my surprise it read 1:29:xx. Since calculating net times versus clock time has lead to some disappointment lately, I decided to use take the clock at face value. 1:29. Goal is always sub 2. That means I'd have to do a 30-minute 5k to not get a sub 2. I don't do 30-minute 5ks, I do faster 5ks. As I am quickly calculating this in my head I realize that a PR is not out of the question - not likely, but not out of reach. And, surprisingly, I finally felt really good!

Mile 11 came quickly. Unfortunately the course here gets a little "hilly" (overpasses). I knew I could do them but they started to slow me down as well. As I approached the last big overpass that leads right into EPCOT it looked VERY steep and tall. I told myself I could walk that one, but had to at least run to it. I took the hairpin turn to approach it and then suddenly realized I was halfway up it!, so then told myself walking was out of the question. It had been an optical illusion - it looked so much steeper than it really was.

The last mile was tough, really tough. I realized I was down to the last of what I had brought with me that day, but I also acknowledged that this time that feeling came two miles later than it had just the week before. That acknowledgement did nothing for me at the time; I was flat out miserable and wanted to walk SO BAD. I chopped it down into 800, 400, 100 meter increments and recalled the feeling of pounding out the last 100 during the PT test and somehow got to that blessed finish. Somewhere in that mental storm I started to realize that this was the reason to do repeats; I sometimes wondered what the point was of running ridiculously short intervals (for an endurance runner). Now I know!

There was a 1:57-something on the clock when I first spotted it but I let it roll into the 1:58s before I could get there. My Blackberry rang immediately with the text that my net time was 1:56:58. It wasn't a PR but it was feedback that I was doing the right things, finally! I had overcome a lot on the race course and still ended up with a solid time. Best of all, I had really enjoyed myself throughout the race, with the wonderful princess distractions, the perfect weather, and the quick and comfortable last miles. I think what made me the most excited was that I beat all the projected times on runner tracker; I was due in at 1:59 and then 1:58. That meant I got faster and faster the second half.

Once again, this was a great race. Unless I accompany another runner, I do not plan on doing the January Disney marathons again. It was nice to race a course I know so well with a year's difference between races rather than two months. There is a certain energy to these destination races that differs from other races, with the excited buzz of runners lining up to accomplish the distance for the first time, or as part of a team, or as a special weekend away. It's a different feel from the more serious Gasparilla or Chicago races, which attract the most accomplished and more serious runner. Both are wonderful in their own way, but the Princess on the heels of Gasparilla is like going to a country line dancing bar after a ball. Both are fun in their own way, and yes you dance at both, but the atmosphere is distinctly different. God willing, I hope to line up for this one for as long as they have it - or at least for the next five years, when then 14-year-old Emily and I will line up as a mother/daughter team. :)

**I was tagged to write 10 random things about myself by my new blog buddy KC. I will do that on my next post - my typing fingers are tired!

Four Days of Boot Camp - done!

2010-03-04T10:50:00.004-05:00

I've been SUCH a slacker the last two months - my attendance at boot camp was hit-or-miss if I could figure out a way to justify a miss. As I may have mentioned here, I made a commitment to miss ONLY one day of boot camp this session, the next Monday after the Princess Half this weekend. I'm also trying to re-harness my initial motivation borne of the thought that if I'm going to get up at o'dark-thirty every morning, I should make it count. After 10 months of getting up between 5 and 6 nearly every day (unless I could justify not) that wasn't cutting it anymore. My lack of dedication was getting obvious - I wasn't as strong, I was gaining weight, and my running times were dwindling. It is AMAZING how fast you can lose the fitness you work so hard for.

That beautiful run on Sunday coupled with the disgust with myself I was feeling intersected just in time for me to be ready to give it my all again.

Chuck made an interesting observation on Sunday - he said that often those who were fiscally disciplined were also physically disciplined. I've thought about that a lot since he's said it. I know I am a lot more disciplined in my every day life when my workouts are solid and consistent. It's not anymore about losing weight or changing myself physically, it's about how I feel from the inside. My house stays cleaner, my laundry stays caught up, I am better able to manage my children's transgressions, I go to bed at more reasonable hour, I sleep better, etc. etc. etc - around and around it goes. Once the workouts go off track so goes the rest of my life - I can't sleep ergo I can't get up, I am antsy and quick-tempered, I am disorganized and out of sorts. You'd be hard pressed to tell me there is no correlation. Furthermore, I am better able to process hurt, anger, frustration, and disappointment. Pounding out 800s has the same cathartic affect as pounding a few beers - without the hangover. (Of course, topping off a few well-run 800s with a beer isn't a bad idea, either :)).

Yesterday we had the PT tests. Once again I cannot remember my push-up and sit-up numbers. I am going to have to get those and keep them as a sidebar on my blog, since seeing those numbers there DOES motivate me. I always remember my 1-mile test - yesterday it was 7:33. I was pleased with that number given the half-marathon 3 days prior and the speed work the night before. Hell, I was just pleased I finished - any number in the 7s was a bonus.

We ran outside for 20 minutes after circuit work inside. It felt good to be outside again and not feeling like I was running for my life, LOL. This was the first "easy" run since before last weekend, and it felt really good. The first mile was 9:50 (and fun - talking mostly the whole way!) and the last mile was at 8:33.

Speedwork

2010-03-02T21:20:00.002-05:00

Four of us (plus one 11YO) met tonight for repeats. The rest of the crew was recovering from the weekend and I likely should be too but with that race ahead ....

We were prescribed 4x800s and 6x100s at a moderate pace. Ha. I don't think any of us can do "moderate". We're far far far too competitive - with ourselves but most especially with each other - in a very friendly, complimentary kind of way. After a chatty 1-mile warm-up, we started our repeats.

800 splits: 3:48, 3:49, 3:57 (that was my attempt at moderate - I hated it), 3:46

100 splits: I don't know the first 3 because I forgot to hit the lap button but the total time was 1:06. Last three: 22, 22, 21

I finished dead last on each 100 but I am faster than the last time I did 100s!!

Random Thought/Observation

2010-03-02T12:26:00.002-05:00

I am reading all the Gasparilla half-marathon and marathon race reports from fellow bloggers, and with just a few exceptions, I've noticed that almost all of us made some reference to going to the bathroom before racing. When I wrote that on my own blog I actually considered editing it out as being TMI, but decided to keep it because we all know that 1) getting a chance to go to the potty before a race and 2) not having to wait in line to do so are without any doubt A Big Happy Sign from the running gods that this is going to be a good race!

More later after tonight's speedwork, but I had a thought and a means to express it so here it is!!!

Busy March

2010-03-01T15:32:00.003-05:00

It's a good thing that I'm all about running again, because I have a full schedule for March!

Next Sunday I finally get to race in Disney again, in the Princess Half Marathon. Hands down this is my favorite race! In addition to it being Disney, my home away from home (our "happy place", as Chuck calls it) but you get to - ARE ENCOURAGED TO - wear a tiara as you race! I'll find any excuse to wear a tiara and sparkle hairspray (see also Halloween Halfathon) but the Princess is the one time I'm not the only dork doing so. :)

The next Saturday is the Armadillo 5k/10k. Ma'am handed out the race registration sheets today in class and little miss Tink had hers filled out before we got our left turn light to head home. I'm thinking she wants to race again, no? Someone else got the bug this weekend...

The Sunday following is the Inaugural Florida Beach Halfathon (half marathon). Besides wanting to have done all four in this series of four races, I wanted to avenge my 2:09:28 on the exact same course exactly 20 weeks later hopefully WITHOUT the exact same weather! It'll also be my 20th ever half-marathon, and I'd like to end my endurance running season with a nice round number like that. :)

Last but not least, the last weekend of the month means the Eco challenge, which Jenny and I are doing as a team (Belle and the Beast) and Carin and her sister are also doing. I am really looking forward to this race; not only is it running but it's also biking and kayaking (!). This should be interesting - the Beast and the Harlot on a boat together during a race. This could end up being an installment of Survivor...

I have a weekend off and then Emily and I signed up as a mother/daughter team for IronGirl on April 10th. I'm genuinely surprised she signed herself up for this one - she hates those Clearwater bridges something fierce. I'm sure I'll have to work with her on those so she can stop fearing them as I have.

April is being dedicated to running harder and faster with some help from Ma'am. I'm going to be putting my money where my mouth is and finding out: do I really want to be faster or am I just all talk?

Today was the first day of the March session of boot camp. As I mentioned, Em went with me. The class was a little bit harder than first-session classes usually are, which was nice! My legs are sore from the races, so getting them moving felt really good. (Isn't it funny how that happens? When you first start exercising the thought of using limbs suffering from delayed onset muscle soreness sounds like utter hell, but as you gain experience you start to realize that working sore muscles actually starts to feel pretty good?) We ran 1.2 miles - I ran at a 9:30 pace and it also felt really good. I have made a commitment this session that I will attend every class with the exception of next Monday's. I am looking forward to seeing the progress I will gain from making that commitment.

Gasparilla Half Marathon 2010 Race Report

2010-02-28T12:30:00.003-05:00

Time: 1:58:10

This morning was one of those mornings where everything just clicked along smoothly. Jeremy was the only child who wanted to accompany us with our 4:45am departure time, and we left right on time with everything I needed. When we neared the exit for the west side of the city, there were brake lights galore, but my Chuck stealthy navigated an east side entry (no traffic) and we pulled into our parking spot at exactly 5:20 - in perfect time.

I had to go to the bathroom so I snuck into the Embassy Suites lobby, and found no line. The temperature was perfect, the skies were clear (though dark) and it was all systems go for a beautiful 6am start.

I lined up between the 3:50 marathon pace team and the 4:00 pace team. It took me one minute and ten seconds to cross the start and I anticipated the bunched-up conditions we'd dealt with the day before, but the crowd was lighter and running about the same pace. At mile 1 I looked down at my Garmin to check my pace against the clock time and drifted onto a white line. If you run with me you know I'm a maniac about not running on the lines of a street - I think they are a terrible hazard. If they aren't studded with reflectors they are slippery. They are a fall waiting to happen, especially for a klutz like me. My paranoia was proven; there were cones on the white lines and the guy directly in front of me kicked one over right in my path. I nearly stumbled - I caught myself but it kept me off kilter for the next mile. I just couldn't shake the "what ifs" and the nervousness from the near-fall. I spent the next mile giving myself a stern talking-to so I wouldn't throw my whole race just 2 miles in. Mile 1 had clicked in at 9:05. Mile 2 at 9:01. I wasn't happy to see 9s so early in the race (when I'm usually faster and stronger) but I realized I'd hit my first tier goal of a sub-2 if I stayed the course. A glance after mile 3 showed an 8:34. I was surprised - I hadn't felt like I'd sped up so I decided I'd just bank that one, but not plan on the pace continuing since I still had 10 miles to go. Mile 4 was 8:39. I decided then to back it down or risk having a miserable second half - I knew I wasn't trained to be running in the mid-8s. After making the conscious decision to back it down, mile 5 was slower: 8:41. I was amused at this point and decided to just take it as it came. I obviously wasn't regulating my speed according to my PRE and I obviously was banking time, so why not? This is when I realized I was having a LOT of fun. I had a kick-ass playlist turned up high in my ears, it was nice and cool, I knew the route and had enjoyed some of my very best and very worst races along this same race course and I felt better than I had expected. Bridges started coming up and I welcomed them; this was my chance to use what I'd learned the last half marathon and use them for speed rather than as obstacles. At the half-way point the course goes past the finish, crosses a bridge and then curves back out of the city. I saw Chuck and Jeremy at the base of the bridge, handed off my gloves but did not pause for a kiss and a word as I usually do. I was solidly in "the zone" and I did not want to break out of it for anything. It was like a riding a wave: you didn't know when - or if - it was going to throw you off its back but as long as you were on you might as well enjoy it.

I got to the part of the course where the wind literally blew me backward last year and offered a grateful prayer of thanks for the fact that the only thing in my face this year was the beautiful sun.

About mile 10 I started to lose my foothold, and started to feel the wave letting me go. I had to go to the bathroom and I was hot. I knew I had to determine which comfort I wanted more - the restroom or to shed a shirt and cool off. I opted for the bathroom. If there were an Olympic event for potty breaks on a run, I'd be a gold medalist. I have it down to an absolute skill. I popped into a vacant port-a-let and back out to join the field without a break in stride.

Miles 11-13.1 were rough. I had nothing left in the tank. This is where my under-training showed up with a vengeance. I kept thinking of yesterday and how I had bullied Emily across the finish and tried to bully myself but it wouldn't work. I even walked right at mile 13! I couldn't believe I had felt so good throughout the race only to feel so bad at the very end.

Chuck and I agree we saw 1:58:10 on the clock as I passed under it. I guesstimated my time at 1:57 as a result. Home now, I see that the timing has my chip time as 1:58:10 and my clock time as 1:59:19. My tracking was also off; it showed my average pace at 9:15 throughout the race when none of my miles were over 9:08. I'm not sure if there was a problem with the timing mats or what - in the end it doesn't matter except for the fact that I said my time was 1:57 when it's obviously not, LOL. I hate being a liar, even by accident! It's not a PR and it was a fun race, so whatever the time was really doesn't matter. I proved to myself I am capable of a solid 2-hour half marathon which means now it's not out of the question for me to start whittling that time down with some solid work and - yes - a training schedule, rather than just winging it.

The best part of today was that I felt like I got to utilize all of the race lessons I've had this season. It was the relaxed run of a seasoned racer - I didn't feel like I was fighting for every mile as I have felt in the past. I loved that I was able to embrace the "hills" (bridges). I loved being happily surprised by my pace rather than being disappointed as the numbers clicked in.

I have two more half marathons this month - one next week and one in three weeks. Now I'm curious to see how this race sets me up for the next two. Is my fitness level such that it was a faster-than-normal training run and will give me back a PR half-marathon in a week (or three)? Or was this my max (peak) and I'll see a downturn next week (or in three). THE BEST THING about today is that I got my groove back - rather than feeling complacent and burned out from running, I feel inspired and refreshed and ready to push it again, to see what I am capable of, now that my "set point" race time is down to where it is. If I push, if I work, if I dedicate myself - what can I do? I look forward to finding out!

Gasparilla 5k Race Report

2010-02-27T16:57:00.007-05:00

Jonathan's time: 28:45

Emily's time: 28:55

As we strained to hear the National Anthem at the start of the race, the skies opened up, adding rain to the chill of the day. Jonathan jokingly whined, "Steve Jerve LIED to us!!" as we huddled together and waited for our turn to cross the starting line.

I think it took less time to cross the start in Chicago, but we finally did 4:48 into the race. I wouldn't let my young runners - Emily and Jonathan - run until we were at the starting line; instead we talked race strategy. Emily had trained for this race but Jonathan had not. He had said he was going to keep up with us and we catty girls snickered, "Okay. Try."

It was easy the first mile; we seeded ourselves FAR too far back in the start corral and spent a lot of the first mile shuffling to get to a point where we could even run at all. I gave instructions before we started: We were going to go out like gangbusters at first, but to not panic because I wasn't going to run us that fast the whole race. They stuck to me like glue until we needed to even out our pace a bit or risk burning out altogether. Despite the surges of speed our first mile still clocked in at 10:14. My announcement of our time at mile marker 1 elicited groans of disappointment from my runners, so I told them we'd have to go with our original mile 1 plan - negative splits, with the last mile at an all-out.

Emily began to whimper for water just before mile 2, as she always does, LOL. I snapped at her to just stop it, we couldn't magically make water appear, while Jonathan was soothing and comforting, letting her know a water stop was ahead. We stopped for longer than I'd like for water, but I knew if I didn't let her get her fill I'd hear it for the final mile. Mile 2 clocked in at 9:25 - better, but not what was going to get us what we wanted. At mile 2 our time was about 20 minutes - I told them we'd have to abandon goals for a PR because of the debacle that was mile 1, but we could dig hard for at least a sub-30. Jonathan and Emily both cheerfully signed on for that, and I gave one last warning that we'd have to do a sub-9 for that last mile to accomplish it. They were still all in, and we fired up the jets, picking off people right and left. I ran like a drill sergeant, warning about the white lines (slippery when wet), yelling for us to pass, yelling at Emily to dig deep, shouting encouragement to Jonathan. My big mouth got the attention of a new friend from boot camp, who was running her first 5k. Now there were four of us, and I kept yelling orders. It was a repeat of the Iron Girl 5k, where I was barking orders at a protesting Emily and earning dirty looks from all the mothers around us. I figured I'd explain myself later, as Emily chanted "I can't! I can't! Need to stop" and I ordered her to dig deep and keep going and YES SHE CAN. It's part of our "shtick", but sounds so awful that I almost think I should wear a sign on my back saying, "She wants me to push her like this!" I feel like a mother on Toddlers and Tiaras - ugh, maybe this is how they justify their behavior, too...

After the race we re-joined our family. I thought Jonathan had finished behind us but he had sprinted ahead and finished 10 seconds faster! We headed up to the expo and spent quite a bit of time there ...and I spent a record amount of money. Record, not because of how much, but how little --- $1!! I seriously think that is the least I've EVER spent in a mecca of running goodies - go me! That was a victory in and of itself.

As we were leaving, Jonathan alerted me to the fact that my beloved weatherdude Steve Jerve was around for signatures and pictures. After giving him a hard time about his forecast (which apparently he'd revised to indicate rain at the start of the 5k after all!) we got our picture taken with him. I was so excited I nearly lost my free Mich Ultra beer ticket!!!

On the way to claim said Mich Ultra (whew - ticket recovered) just for the heck of it we looked up the kids' official times. I started at the bottom of the under 10 female list because I would have sworn we'd seen many girls Emily's age way ahead before the turn-around. Much to our surprise, Emily had placed 5th in her age group! We checked with the awards crew and sure enough, she'll get some hardware for her effort. Gasparilla is a BIG race and with 119 in her age group, I didn't expect she'd be so close to the top - it was a very exciting discovery.

All in all, despite the weather and the crowds, we had a wonderful race. It was fun to strategize throughout the race and have our strategies work. Jonathan had not trained at all and still ran a comfortable, relatively fast race. Emily worked hard and reaped a reward. Best of all, we felt really good and comfortable throughout the 3.1 miles and everyone finished smiling. We were especially proud when we discovered we'd clocked the 3rd mile at 8:20 - we got our sub-9 with some to spare!

I am really looking forward to tomorrow's half-marathon now that I've gotten a course preview!

Gasparilla Weekend!

2010-02-26T13:36:00.002-05:00

It's here!

Some of the best running in Tampa Bay occurs this weekend, with Gasparilla's 5k and 15k tomorrow morning and the half-marathon and marathon on Sunday morning. In addition to great running with amazing crowd support and a million-dollar view, the expo is my very favorite, topping even Chicago's and Disney's.

I hadn't done my tempo run this week, so I wanted to go with Jenny to run the hilly neighborhood this morning. I was concerned because plyometrics in boot camp had revealed some pains in my hip (still) and my right knee. The right knee had started bothering me last Friday on the hill sprints so we agreed I'd just skip those this morning, so I would be race ready this weekend. I have not trained for a PR so as I told Jenny, I needed the run this morning more than I needed to not do it. In other words, I'm not working toward a "peak" so a run early this morning wasn't going to make or break my half-marathon time. It would, however, help whittle away some of the 5 or so pounds I've managed to pack on as a side-effect of my recent complacency.

We ran together up the trail, and then went our own way (and speed) once we got to the neighborhood. I felt good throughout the run and none of the nagging pains were apparent. I ended up with 5.25 miles at a 9:00 (even) pace. I am a bit sore this afternoon, but I think that might be from weight training yesterday since my arms are also sore.

Tomorrow Emily and I will run the 5k together and Jonathan will try to keep up :). Seriously, Emily has made an effort to train and Jonathan has not, but like Gregory pointed out, somehow Jonathan manages to run pretty well even without training. I am really looking forward to seeing how Emily does - it's been a while since she's been able to do a 5k in good health, and she loves to run. It helps that all 5k finishers receive a medal!

Sunday is my half-marathon. My first level goal is to see if I can finish in less than 2 hours even with sloppy training. If so, that will give me the initiative to start pushing that time down more and more, knowing that a sub-2-hour is the time I should expect from myself. My second level goal is a PR (under 1:56:12) and the out-of-reach goal is 1:55 or less.

Good luck to my friends running races this weekend - I look forward to seeing you out there and cheering you on - especially the marathoners who will be running Gasparilla's last 26.2!!

Focus

2010-02-24T14:16:00.003-05:00

I have ADD - as in, attention deficit disorder. I can't believe it took me 36 years to realize it, but while seeking help for my oldest son, I'd go through the checklists and 80+% of the characteristics applied to him, but nearly 100% applied to me! I'm undiagnosed but really, if you've known me more than a half hour, you'd know it doesn't take a PhD to figure it out. My conversations are laced with "What was I saying?", my keys could be anywhere (except for where they belong), and my books on how to live with ADD sit untouched... somewhere.

In order to cope (and by that I mean keep things in relative order, maintain a respectable home and get my children and husband fed before 10pm), I have to live within strict boundaries. This is why running schedules and daily boot camp classes are perfect for me. They are a black-and-white, non-negotiable, easily understood blueprint for how to conduct my workouts. If my routine is disrupted in any way, I find it hard to stay on track.

So, when three weeks ago we had our master bathroom dismantled and rebuilt, and the other two upstairs baths also in chaos as new tile was laid, I was completely in a tailspin. The daily intrusion of contractors, the destruction and construction, and the disruption of work and daily life took its toll. Though I kept up with my key running workouts and made more than half of the boot camp days, I felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants. I felt like I hadn't put in 100% into my workouts so I sure as heck didn't feel like recounting them here. It seems pathetic to put "bathroom remodel" on my list of excuses for why I've not prepared myself for the races coming up, but it IS my excuse.

Now my beautiful bathroom has been returned to me better than ever, complete with a new Jacuzzi tub to soak my weary runner's legs. It's going to take me a while to get back out from under and have things settle back down to normal (read: clean and orderly again) and meanwhile guess what? My first of 3 back-to-back races is coming up - this weekend!!

Ack!

I say I am always trained for a half marathon and I am. I told myself for the past month that I don't care how fast I do Gasparilla or Princess but I am here to say that I do care - it's just too late to care.

I think I was just in a slump - focused on what was going on inside my home, not really caring too much about my running. Typically I get into a fairly good balance of being a good homemaker, good mom, good wife and good runner. Sometimes one gets more attention than the other. I feel okay about that - I like that running and exercise are so much a part of who I am now that it just kinda gets done without much thinking, and then when I'm ready to think about it again it's here waiting for me.

So I don't know what to expect come Sunday. I am going to give it all I have because I can and I want to. It may boil down to a PR, or my body might just show me who is boss, but I don't care. The Gasparilla races are a big weekend of fun, racing, shopping, friends, and celebration. It'll be awesome.

Back on to workouts ... yesterday I had boot camp which included a "parking lot" day which means lots of leg work including plyometrics. We love parking lot days but they'll do a number on your legs. Last night we had our last speed work night - 6x400 and 4x100. Easy. Usually. After a parking lot day, notsomuch! Still, I had some decent numbers and loved the workout.

Today we had our 1-mile PT test in bootcamp. I had one of my worst times yet - 7:43. I WALKED three times during the 1-mile! WALKED!! My legs just did not want to move the last 400 meters. I'd hoped by walking I could gain some recovery and make up the loss of time but I did not. Hopefully next week's PT test will show a better gain - not that I really earned one this month!

Enjoying The Ride

2010-02-07T12:11:00.007-05:00

12 miles @ 9:25

Yesterday while eating lunch I had the chance to read the Runner's World* article on Kara Goucher and her "mind training". Though I'll just be lucky to run in her footsteps - as I was honored to run in Kastor's in Chicago - I found this particular article on Goucher to be relative even to a mid-packer like me.

In essence, the article addressed the relationship of Goucher's talent and work to her ability to "hurdle" the mental demons which threatened to derail that talent and work and how doing so brought her back into the world arena as a competitive athlete. It was a fascinating article not only as it chronicled her career thus far, but how she was able to "re-wire" her brain. There is a sidebar of suggestions for us everyday road warriors, but I didn't need the sidebar. I had already pulled the important information from the story.

Inspired by the utter joy I experienced running the Chicago marathon in my Zen-like state, and reinforced by Leslie's comments that when I run I am clinched up looking like I am *fighting*, like it is work, I am seeking a place where I find running to be not just something I endure to enjoy, but something I enjoy. Period. This article clarified and enumerated specific points to help me get there.

The thing is, I think I have some innate talent. Not world-class or even local-class talent, but I think I was given the gift of some speed, enough to satisfy the desires I have to make certain achievements. My Dad used to say I "ran like the wind" - except I was usually running from something. One of the times I remember him saying it I was running from a puff adder snake (the NC version, not the African version... but still...!) which had wrapped itself around the bike I had abandoned on a wooded trail the day before. Maybe I could have run high school track if some reptiles were released right behind me - or maybe they could have just handed my mother my report card at the start line.

Even when I started running I didn't stink. I was pretty quickly running mid-20s for 5ks, getting age group awards and consistently finishing in the top 25% of a large field. Being a competitive little cuss, this was good. Some don't care - from the get-go, I did.

Eventually my "good" meant that I was running with those who are "excellent". My good suddenly pulls up short when compared with those I'm lucky enough to run with. And though I know I don't put in the same amount of work to reap the same benefit, it still can play with your mind. I'm better than I was, but I'm not as good as she is. This is not as much in play as I go about my life in my regular street clothes. My heartrate is steady, my brain is in full function, I have logic. I know exactly why I am not excellent and know that I'm getting better, and that I'd get even better still if I put in more work. But during the 2 hours that is a half marathon, or even the 25 minutes that is a 5k, logic, common sense, self-appreciation - etc. - go away. When your heart is pounding in your ears and the time between mile 11 and mile 12 seems like an eternity, it's easy to adopt a defeatist attitude and execute a defeatist plan. It's easy to find 101 reasons why you will never be as good as the excellent.

So when I read this article I sat up and took notice. It wasn't the usual babble about thinking happy thoughts and envisioning the race and the time you want, blah blah blah (not that it doesn't work, I just haven't found that it works for me; it's easy for me to change my mental finish clock from 1:55:00 to 1:59:59 mid-race). There were some great, doable, effective mental training seeds you can plant so they are ready to bloom on race day.

The one that I decided I could implement right then (well, okay, TODAY) was "enjoying the ride". Appreciate the moment. Enjoy the feeling of your body in motion. Appreciate the athletes around you. With 12 miles on deck for today, I knew that that was a take-home lesson I could use immediately. Prior to reading the article I was starting to dread the run. I had been at that same park on Saturday in the position of support for our Gasparilla crew running their 20-milers. We were on bikes and back and forth (and back and forth) on that trail. I was kinda tired of that trail and the idea of going back there and running 12 miles on it was not something I was particularly looking forward to.

After the article, I changed my mind (LOL - literally). I started thinking about how blessed I was to have a great place to run - some of the runners from yesterday had never run the trail and went on and on about how wonderful it was. I started thinking about how much I love the girls I run with, and how much I wanted to catch up with their lives. I started feeling glad that the forecast was promising nice cool conditions, and how I needed to appreciate that while it was still around.

I woke up raring to go (a long good night's sleep helped, too). Met my high school neighbor outside, scooped Jenny from her house and off we went. Cherise, Carin and a new friend were there waiting for us. We headed out and we were going fast - too fast for me. The first three miles were sub-9. I started backing off. Cherise, Jenny and the new runner needed to be going that fast - that was the pace they were supposed to be doing distance at - but for Carin and me, that was race pace. I realized that Carin and I had been running along - iPod-less - and not speaking because we were working so hard. When I asked her how she was doing she lightly commented on the pace and I indicated we should probably back it off. At this point I had forgotten all about my new mental training philosophy and was starting to come up with all the reasons why today was not a good day to do 12. The good-girl part of my brain fought hard with my rebel side, reminding "us" that we felt just fine, we needed the miles, the weather was perfect, we had no aches and pains ... And then I remembered the article. Like finally shifting gears and hearing the transmission settle back into a happy hum, my brain did the same thing. It was really remarkable. Carin and I started chit-chatting and catching up, and soon the turn-around was near. We kept trucking along, and when my brain started objecting, or calculating the miles left, or started creeping in with the "WHY OH WHY do we do this?" negativity, I'd slap it back down like one of those Whack-a-Mole games.

For the first time in I don't know how long, I was surprised to see the One Mile Tree. My Garmin was off (operator issue), so I had no clear indiction where we were by GPS, but to see the One Mile Tree sneak up on me like that was proof that this new brain-training was already working. One mile to go? Already? Nice!

Jenny and friend were waiting for us back in the parking lot. I teased that they'd probably gone and had all-you-can-eat IHOP pancakes in the space of time they had waiting for us, but I didn't feel defeated. Usually I am worried about why it's taking me so long and why I am not as strong and why didn't I work harder so I could be fast too? Instead of feeling like I had come up short, I embraced the run for the joy that it was: 12 miles with good friends.

I'll still work hard - I know I can't run fast purely on the concept that my mind is relaxed - but I am going to change my approach and quit making it a tense, difficult experience. I guess I started feeling the tension break away when I realized how much I loved 100s and how they were not horrible, painful, nasty pills of truth and growth. It was a reminder that you can work hard and enjoy the work. That's how this all got started in the first place, right? Despite popular belief, life doesn't always have to be hard to be meaningful. Neither does running.

*By the way, this March 2010 issue is a great one if you are not subscribed to the magazine. A lot of different information geared toward the mental strategy of racing.

Run For Haiti

2010-02-04T17:16:00.006-05:00

If the tragedy of Haiti continues to weigh on your heart and you've tried to find a way to help (or an additional way to help) here's another opportunity geared toward the generous spirit of the running community...

Fellow running bloggers, please consider passing this on and challenging your readers to a virtual race along with me :). We can have the fun of racing with the satisfaction of knowing that 100% of our entry fee will go towards relief efforts in Haiti.

Link below for those interested in registering and racing.

Runners take your mark, get set -

GO!

Eat My Dust, Emily

2010-02-03T11:16:00.007-05:00

Last night was speedwork night. Ma'am and I texted back and forth about whether I should, given my aching hip. I had skipped boot camp to give it the morning off and it did feel better. Ultimately I knew that I do not have the self-discipline to "make up" the speed work later, so better I go and take a slap at it than not go at all.

Emily IS self-disciplined, and went with me to speed work as well.

On the agenda for me was 4 x 1200s. Em had one 1200.

1200s are nifty little things. Longer than a half mile but not quite a mile - they kind of don't have any mileage at all. Somehow they are less daunting than the 1600 but you can respect them more than the 800. They are an unusual distance for an endurance runner, which makes them a little more "playful".

My first 1200 was off, timing-wise. I was running with Emily and it was dark, and I didn't want to leave her behind. Usually more of the group is there so I am okay with letting her do her own thing, but there was too great a distance between where the group was and where I would have left her. Eventually the group caught up with us on their way back (we were late) and she went back with them, allowing me to open it up for the last half. I did 2 more straight 1200s. For the third one I heard one of the runners and Leslie say they were going to aim for under 7. On my long-term goal list is a mile under 7, so I thought I'd try to keep up with them for 3/4s of a mile under 7. I fell short of that goal, but it certainly helped me push myself harder than I would have otherwise. Accommodating Emily (who was done with her 1200) again, I did the last 1200 as a there-and-back to the 600M line.

Splits | time (pace) :

6:21 (8:30)

5:37 (7:31)

5:02 for .7 (Garmin stuck) (7:10)

5:38 (7:35)

We then were supposed to do 4 x 100s. Emily was waiting for me and challenged me to a race, having already done 8 of her own 100s. We lined up and took off - and she beat me. Soundly.

While I caught my breath my little cherub-faced baby girl sneered at me and taunted, "I thought we were racing? That's the best you can do?"

I have to veer off a bit and explain our family dynamic. Partly because it's something I believe in, and partly because I have one hundred and one kids so I must retain power at all times, I am a firm believer in inequality within our family unit. Chuck and I are in charge. Always. Chuck and I are not our kids' equals. Ever. We don't high-five our kids or pound dog or any such thing. We are Ma'am and Sir. We are Please and Thank You.

Okay wait........ did I say always? Did I say ever? There is one solid exception to this otherwise steadfast rule - when any of us are engaged in sports, playing or watching. At that point we are all equal. At that point the best is the best, whoever it is - child, parent, girl or boy. We compete. We encourage. We high five. We bump fists. And Emily, God bless her, has every right to sneer when she beats me.

That one time she beat me.

After that, I wished her good luck. After that, she ate my dust. And I sneered back :). (And was grateful she was there - and fast enough - to push me.)

I ♥ 100s. They are too much fun. You just open it up and as soon as you decide this is getting hard, they are over with. They are so much fun it's hard to believe they are even doing anything for you. Isn't progress made through pain?

I loved them so much I did my 4 and then did 4 more with the marathoners when they finished their 1200s. I would have done them all night, but it was time to go home.

My splits for those were (seconds): 24, 23, 20 (!!), 23, 28, 23, 22, 22. The average pace on those was around 6:15-6:30. Amazing to think the elites run a whole marathon at that pace or faster, wow!

This morning was boot camp PT test. I'll have to post my push up and sit up numbers later; I've already forgotten them. My official mile was 7:34. Garmin says 7:28. These days I prefer Garmin's renditions of my runs rather than the other "OFFICIAL" times. :-P

Well hello, February, where did you come from?

2010-02-01T18:36:00.002-05:00

I can't even get used to writing 2010 yet and here comes a new month already? What is that all about?? This means I need to analyze and organize my January numbers and see what I've accomplished so far this year. As Runner's World always says: We runners love our numbers!

Friday I was supposed to meet the girls for a hill run but cancelled at 2:30am when I was up for the THIRD time that night not feeling well. I believe I am fighting something or allergic to something blooming, because I've felt a little "off" since the end of last week and it's primarily respiratory.

Saturday's long run for the Gasparilla group was done as 2 mile repeats. Though I didn't feel well, I was anxious to get to do these. The halfers were to do 8 miles' worth but I was doing 11 the next day so I did 2 sets (4 total miles). With warm-up and cool-down, my total mileage was 5.5 miles. I was rather pleased with the speed at which I was able to get those miles done - I couldn't figure out how to re-set my Garmin to reflect a 2-mile lap rather than a 1-mile one, so here are the numbers broken down into single miles:

Set 1: 8:18 and 8:22

Set 2: 8:24 and 8:34

There was a rest between the two sets, but with those numbers where they are it looks like a sub 25 5k might not be an impossible dream this year.

Sunday morning the regular group of girls met for our long run, this time joined by my neighbor. She is running track and also training for a half-marathon. The weather was absolutely perfect - a little cool and it got cooler as we ran, which was great! I still wasn't feeling 100% and actually considered turning around and cutting the run short, but interestingly the longer I ran the better I felt. My Garmin decided to shut off for no known reason, so I don't know our exact pace, but based on everyone else's Garmin and the 7 miles I did manage to capture, my pace averaged out at about 9:10. I decided to do a fast-finish last mile just to see if I had it in me and clocked that one at 8:33. It was a really nice run and I felt good the last half. The problem was, once we finished my left hip suddenly hurt like someone had kicked me! I tried to stretch it out but it's gotten worse and worse :( I am not sure what is going on with it - it's a new pain, a new place and a new "feeling". It almost feels as though it's bruised from some sort of external trauma, but I certainly didn't hit it on anything running down a park trail!!

I had boot camp this morning. It was the first day of the new session so a bit easier. I took it easy on the lower-body exercises in deference to my hip and skipped the run altogether in order to let whatever is going on heal.

Ugh. I hope this passes quickly - Gasparilla is THIS MONTH!!!!

Where Am I?

2010-01-28T20:00:00.002-05:00

I can't even remember what I ran this week!!

Thank goodness for the trusty Garmin - always there to give me a reality check - and a reminder of the work I've put in.

I skipped boot camp again on Monday (a trend I intend to put a stop to immediately) and Tuesday was session-end PT test day. I had missed the first 1-mile run of the session so I don't have a time to compare to. Due to the race on Saturday, and a lacking sense of motivation, I was not expecting much from myself, and I was right. My 1-mile run clocked in at 7:39 per Ma'am, 7:32 per Garmin. That's a good 10 seconds off from my previous PR. In good news, I improved my sit-ups (just by 2 - 27 to 29) and push-ups from 29 to 40 (both 1-minute tests rather than 2 minutes). The push-up test was a surprise since I feel like I skipped more classes than I attended...

Tuesday night the Gasparilla group met for repeats. Emily is now an official member of that group; I signed her and Jonathan up to run the 5k Sunday. I am also signed up for the 5k Saturday as well as the half which will run on Sunday. Now officially a "halfer", I was assigned 8x400s and Em had 6x400. Emily was beautifully consistent, running each of hers in 2:07 or 2:08. Mine were consistent as well, except the last two. The last two I got hit with a wave of nausea so bad I could hardly stand it. I sincerely thought I was getting hit with a case of food poisoning or some other horror, but fortunately it seemed to be more about the running than some kind of bacterial or viral invasion, since I felt better once I stopped running. It was awful though; I shouldn't have done the last 400 but I thought I would be okay and I am determined to put 100% effort into the next 5 to 6 weeks of training.

Splits:

1:43

1:42

1:43

1:45

1:44

1:43

1:47

1:51

Total mileage: 3 (includes 1 mile warm-up)

With the exception of the last 2 400s I LOVED this workout - I felt strong and I was really happy with my consistency. It felt exactly the way repeats should be - comfortably hard, and right on target. I sure do wish I could have ended feeling as strong!

Today was the last day of boot camp for the January session; no running but a workout nonetheless. Mid-morning TK and I hit the Y for some weights. I feel like I should do a tempo on Thursday but instead have been treating the Friday hill runs as tempo. Between the faster pace AND the hills, that seems like an appropriate substitute.

Clearwater Halfathon Race Report

2010-01-26T11:42:00.002-05:00

I had thought this would be a race I'd try to PR, but January has proven to be a month where I've lost a bit of focus. I'm focusing on the right things - things that have come across my path - but my workouts and running have taken a back seat. Sometimes that's okay, sometimes that's necessary. I don't get paid to run. I think I have to remind myself that sometimes - it's recreation, not a vocation! It's easy to get fixated on the numbers and improvement vs. lack of improvement and forget the reason why I run in the first place.

Fortunately I had a healthy dose of that attitude when we arrived pre-dawn at Coachman Park, where the tall Clearwater Beach bridge loomed menacing in the background, with an ambulance parked just past its peak for punctuation. Jenny dismissed it, "Aw, it's not that bad!" and I knew it wasn't - it really does look worse than it is.

We warmed up a bit and then lined up. At the gun Jenny took off and I ascended the first little hill and got ready for the big climb. The top was mile 1, and my time was right about 9:00, which is where I thought it should be. I ran far too conservatively down the bridge. Though I've run this bridge twice before, once was for a 10k and once for a 5k, and I didn't want to take the risk of burning up my legs too early. I just didn't have the experience to run this race smart, but I knew that, and let the chips just fall where they might.

It was a beautiful run in near-perfect running conditions; temperature was in the mid-50s and it was foggy/overcast. We ran over the Clearwater Causeway onto the beach front drive, along the beach and through the newly-renovated (and under construction) beachside area. I was anxious to get to the Sand Key bridge, which as it would turn out I far underestimated. It's a smaller bridge length-wise, but that meant the grade was much steeper than the Clearwater Bridge. I had promised myself that no matter what I would not walk those bridges, and I held on to that promise, but it was tough. After the bridge we turned into Sand Key park. As I turned in I saw Mark. It was at this point that I realized how much faster than me he is. Numbers are one thing, but when we kept running and running and running through Sand Key park and not exiting it, and I realized how long ago I'd seen him, I realized the speed at which he and the other leaders must be going to put that much distance between them and us. It was really a neat understanding and kept me occupied for much of that portion of the race.

Once we exited the park we continued through the beach-front community of Sand Key. This portion was "there and back" so I was able to see a lot of my friends along the course, which was fun. Because this was a new-to-me race, I had no idea when we were *ever* going to turn around so it felt like the course just went on and on! The good news was that I knew that when we did turn around, we wouldn't have much distance to the finish line.

When I finally turned, it was straight into a headwind. I don't know why I didn't recognize it as that; instead I thought I was getting lead-legged. The Striders, a running club that I am somewhat associated with, were manning two of the water stops. When I got to them I decided to take a break, drinking some Gatorade, two waters, some Chomps and using their porta-potty. I realized I had been fretting about the "surprise" bridge and now at the base of it, was having a hard time getting the gumption to go back over it. One of the Striders mentioned the wind, and it was then that I realized I had a lot of forces against me. It also made me realize I had a lot of "excuses" for a bad time. Somehow that made me feel MUCH better and I took off to tackle that bridge.

I tried to run a little faster down the bridge this time to make up for some of that lost time, and when the road flattened back out I realized I was completely recovered! I filed that information away and enjoyed a few more miles knowing that the Clearwater Bridge was the end of it all; that once I got to the top of that it was a steady cruise to the finish. Ready to conquer it again, it seemed like it would never, EVER come! The 11th mile seemed to take forever - I could see the bridge but I just couldn't seem to get to it!

I finally got up and over it, and started the steep decent to the finish. The sidewalk spirals down which makes for a fun last half mile. I regret that I was too cautious on this part - afraid I'd lose my footing and fall. Again, something to remember for the next time I do this race.

The clock read 2:02:xx, my chip time was 2:01:39 and interestingly my Garmin had 1:59 for 13.18 miles! Chip time it is, though; and though it's not my best it was a really fun race. I enjoyed the bridges as much as I thought I would (especially the downsides!) I thought of it less as a race and more of a workout, since there were so many unknowns for me - such as how my legs would survive that steep grade with 12 miles already behind me.

A lot of people say this is one of their faster half-marathons, despite the bridges. I think it's BECAUSE of the bridges. I think a smart race utilizing the down hills and flat portions of the course could be to a runner's advantage. I look forward to putting my newly acquired information to good use next year!

Half Marathon Week!

2010-01-20T12:25:00.003-05:00

I have really been looking forward to Saturday's half marathon. It involves some steep bridges but I am uncharacteristically looking forward to the challenge of those. I feel like I've gotten a lot stronger when it comes to hills and I am enjoying the thought of testing my mettle to see whether I've made the progress I think I have - or if I need to work harder.

Sunday morning I met Jenny and Carin for a 10-miler at the park. Cherise met us as well but had to turn around due to feeling unwell :( It was warm - really warm - and humid. It was one of those runs where it didn't feel easy but it felt quick. At around mile 6.5 the skies opened up and the rain poured down for about a mile. It seems I've run a lot in the rain in the past year - a lot more than I had previously. I don't know if it's because I'm just running more often or if it's just been the luck of the draw. I do know that I am not a fan. Fortunately, the rain "broke" the humidity once it passed and the last three miles were very comfortable climate wise. Carin and I both commented that our legs felt heavy though. I attribute that (in my case, anyway) to nutrition. I'm still trying to get that on track.

Due to the holiday I missed Monday's boot camp and as I joked in class this morning, due to the holiday I missed YESTERDAY's, too! But I did go to do speedwork last night. We were coached to drop our 800s down a bit as well as our 200s. We did 4 (rather than 6) 800s and 5 200s. I still didn't hit my target numbers last night because I felt weird! I felt strong for the most part and well-fed and hydrated, but I had a "Bambi" like feel - like I was wobbly and my ankles could collapse at any minute. It prevented me from pushing as hard as I could have, but I was supposed to dial it down anyway due to the race on Saturday, so it was probably just as well.

800s:

3:45

3:40

3:41

3:53

200s

:48

:49

:48

:49

According to the Run Less, Run Faster book consistency is more important that time, so I guess I blew that, too, on the 800s. I have to say, though - I love me some 200s. LOVE THEM! I am not a sprinter by any imagination but I just love running like a deer or a child at break neck speed for that short distance. It's just fun.

This morning I returned to boot camp (I'm sure I'll feel my hiatus tomorrow!). We did a lot of repetitive work including lots of push-ups and jumping-jacks. Then out for an 18-minute run. I averaged 8:22 for 2.12 miles. The goal was a negative split (9 min out and less than that back in) and I accomplished that (17:46 total minutes). It felt great out - just cool enough! I love running in that weather - please please please let it be like that on Saturday!!! (Mother Nature, you owe me. BIG.)

Lucky '10

2010-01-12T09:53:00.003-05:00

So far I'm having a lucky year - I hope I don't jinx it by writing it here.

The luckiest part so far is that I defended my title as Bowl Picker Extraordinaire with my side-kick Chuck falling right in line as #2 YET AGAIN this year (we were also 1 and 2 last year - methinks we won't be invited back next year). While other bowl pool participants probably believe that we have a war room dedicated to college football throughout the season, with stats and lists and probabilities as the room's wallpaper, it's not the truth. The truth is, we pulled over on the way to NC with T-minus three hours before the first bowl, stole some WiFi from a Homewood Suites or some such, and made our picks. Chuck's had something to do with knowledge about the teams, but mine were based primarily upon 1) whether I knew someone who went there, 2) whether they were a TX team (with one exception), 3) whether their mascot was stupid (horned frogs? Really?) and other random stuff. For instance, I picked Boise State because I hate their stupid blue field. I figured if they played on a green field like a normal team they'd HAVE to do better, right? Apparently ---- right.

Missing the Disney Half Marathon with its most brutal of conditions yet was lucky. The jury is still out on whether it was my luck or my family's. If it had been a happy, sunny, mid-50s, PR kind of day I'd still be in a snit and all around me would be suffering mightily for it.

The next stroke of luck? For no known reason except straight-up laziness, I decided to not go to boot camp yesterday. In fact, I wracked my brain all day yesterday trying to come up with a good excuse for why not, preferably one that wasn't a lie, in case I was asked. I did show up this morning and guess what? Boot camp never happened yesterday thanks to a power outage! So my perfect attendance record for January - as of now - stands. Nice!*

After the usual stuff inside, including push-ups during which I seemed to have pinched a nerve (ouch!) we went out to run. I'm in that post-"injury" euphoria where running really rocks your world just 'cause you can. (Though I'm still not sure what the heck that "injury" was!) I felt like I wasn't moving too fast (it's still unbelievably cold here) but Gary the Garmin says otherwise. For 1.5 miles my average was 8:05! I think I'm liking this feeling-like-I-am-slow-but-really-I-am-not feeling. I hope it happens on January 23rd! I also hope Gary isn't on the fritz and in reality I'm going as slow as I think I am...

Tonight we have speedwork. I hope this morning wasn't all the fast I have in me for today. Emily is going with me to do the repeats. Though I think her real motivation is to make sure her butt is in the car on the rare occasion we sneak across to the sports bar for dinner instead of going straight home, if she's tenacious enough to want to do speedwork on the off chance we'll buy her a plate of chicken fingers, you gotta admire her.

*edit - I think I lied! I think I missed a day last week... I'll have to check.

Brrrr!!

2010-01-10T22:21:00.002-05:00

On the last day of boot camp for the week, we headed out for a 15 minute run. I got .7 miles - not because it took me 15 minutes to go .7 miles, but because my hamstring said I was only going to do .7 miles. For the first time since I started running, I physically could not run. Not because I didn't want to or shouldn't, but I honestly COULD NOT. It was a bad, defeating feeling.

I was completely confused: Why was it that I could do *everything* in boot camp BUT run? Why could I do the circuit training we'd done with the agility ladder, the plyometric jumps, planks and everything else Ma'am asked of us but when it came to running - my SPORT - I could not? I was perplexed.

Later that day I stopped into a local running store to purchase a foam roller to help facilitate healing the hamstring, and wondered out loud to the guy who was helping me - a local elite runner - if maybe my hamstring was a psychosomatic response to the fact that I was not racing that weekend? He agreed it was entirely possible and the same had happened to him just last year.

I decided to skip our Thursday tempo run and rest. I also did not run Friday, in preparation for our 16-mile run on Saturday. But Friday night's adjusted forecast showed Saturday morning temperatures well below normal, with a chance of precipitation in unknown form... After a phone conference, Ma'am and I decided that running on Saturday was not in anyone's best interest and moved the run to Sunday. In deference to the many members of the group we coach running races (including the Disney Half Marathon) we decided to scale back the run to 13 miles to keep everyone on the same "page" (so to speak) and make next week's run the 16-miler instead.

Saturday morning we woke to - yes - rain and sleet. My hamstring might have been upset I wasn't racing in the House of Mouse, but it was the only body part. The rest of me was grateful that Chuck and I had decided weeks ago to skip the race for myriad of reasons, the most compelling that he wasn't properly trained. We said later that even if we'd gone ahead and decided to go over to Orlando - trained or not - it was highly unlikely that we'd have made it to our start corral in those conditions. MANY kudos to those who did - Disney's races this weekend will go down in the history books as being the coldest ever - and we've had some cold ones.

Satisfied that our decision was the right one, today's bitterly cold conditions seemed like a reprieve, even though the mercury dipped lower than it had Saturday morning. Three of us met at 8 a.m. to try to take advantage of a fully risen sun, and headed out for 13 miles. It was a new route for me that started with a steep overpass, and my hamstring acted up immediately. Chuck had come along so he could run some (and accompany us to breakfast after) so I decided that if pain wouldn't let me continue, he could drive and get me from one of the many cross streets we'd pass over. After just about 10 minutes the pain settled down a bit, and I felt like I might just make it the full 13 miles.

The run felt hard to me, but probably because I had on 5 layers of bulky clothes and cold legs. I was surprised when I downloaded my Garmin that we ran at a 9:10 average pace for what ended up being 13.25 miles. It felt MUCH slower! When we were done I was IMMEDIATELY cold, which made me feel sickly - the cold to hot, hot to cold feeling was a bit too much like being feverish for my taste. Yes, I'll go ahead and complain about the cold - this is ridiculous. I've enjoyed my taste of winter, now it's time for the temps to regulate again. Fortunately it looks like that's going to happen by next Sunday's long run!!

Feeling Like A Slacker

2010-01-06T09:27:00.003-05:00

Monday night I stayed up watching the Boise State game (for me it was the Boise State game, anyway) and washing and drying my warm workout clothes. Florida is in the midst of an extended cold (frigid!) snap and I really only have 3 or 4 warm things to wear, and I go through those pretty quickly. I got all my stuff together (with a full class I need to get there early to get *my spot*) and was ready to hit the ground running come Tuesday.

The problem was I stayed up so late Monday that I was exhausted Tuesday and slept right through the snooze alarm!! #&$^!!! GRRR!

The redeeming factor was that I had speedwork last night, so I wasn't trying to scramble for an alternate workout. It was absolutely bitter cold last night. The challenge of the cold is what to wear. I had on several layers, and then at a point I got hot, but then when I took my fleece off I felt cold because I was sweaty. Just for the record - I'm not complaining. I asked for this. I'm not going to complain about the hot AND the cold, that's just bratty. I'm just sayin'. This is a challenge for a bona fide Florida girl (17 years makes me bona fide, correct?). Anyway, the marathoners were doing 6x800 + 4x400. Half marathoners were doing 4x800s and the 4x400s. The marathon girls told me I was doing their workout (part of our sneaky plan to just go ahead and train me for a marathon when I'm not looking, and then I'll just go run it and there you go! It'll be like it never happened!!). I never felt like I got my jets turned on all the way and then furthermore, I started to have some very cranky hamstrings. They've been acting up a bit on runs but felt more like I needed to stretch. By the 4th I was in enough pain in one - my right, the opposite of my usual "bad" side - that I couldn't finish the 800. I opted out of running the next 2 with the marathoners, and stretched until it was time to do the 400s. The pain was gone, I felt better, and then I got started and *bam*. The pain was back. I couldn't even try.

I am so disappointed and confused. I don't know where this pain is coming from and why it's happening. I don't know if I should run through it, stretch through it, rest through it, what? It's a different kind of pain because it's in the muscle, not a tendon or a joint. It feels like I *should* be able to run through it but the pain is too great :(.

Here are my numbers from last night:

3:46, 3:51, 3:48

One repeat is missing - not sure why or what it is. Lousy numbers :( I should be closer to the 3:30s.

Today was boot camp (I actually woke up and went, on time, go me!). We had the first part of our PT test, which was the push-up and sit-up portion, but only one minute each this time. (!!) I did 29 push-ups and 27 sit-ups. I was really disappointed with these numbers, especially since I KNOW I gave up on the push-ups. I could have done more, but I just wussed out.

I feel like I'm "losing it". I made such strides in December and then taking a couple of weeks off more or less has set me back far more than I would have thought. It's so disappointing - I feel like I'm not as strong of a runner and I have proof that I am not as strong otherwise. I know I'll get it back, and probably fairly quickly if I work hard enough, but I'm feeling pretty down about my progress today.

WELCOME 2010!!!

2010-01-04T09:33:00.002-05:00

While I (and mine) were fortunate to emerge from the year 2009 relatively unscathed, I know it was a trying and tumultuous year for many. On behalf of all of you who happily bade 2009 goodbye, I do as well. I am grateful for my life, and I try to appreciate each blessed day I am given on this Earth. I am not one to wish away time, but I know that there were many who sighed with great relief when they opened their new calendars - ready to start anew - ready to face the new year - ready to make changes - ready to get control again.

I can't be the only one who feels like today, January 4th, is the REAL start of the new year, since it's the first Monday. So though I said I'd be posting my 2010 goals on the 1st, today seems more appropriate somehow...

Of course I have many goals for this coming year, some personal, some financial, and some relating to exercise. I was pleased to come across my list from last year to find that I had accomplished ALL of my goals (personal and exercise) except one: To break a 25 minute 5k again. Since that's a leftover, I'll start with that!

RUNNING/EXERCISE/HEALTH GOALS FOR 2010:

24:59:59 5k (or faster)
1:54:59 Half-marathon (or faster)
4:14:49 Marathon (or faster)
6:59 mile (or faster)
3 quality running workouts weekly
100 consecutive push-ups
1000 running miles (or more)
Strictly follow USRDA for fruits and veggies (though I'm not a fan of the FDA's guidelines in general - just need to say that!)
100% effort each and every time I start a workout, unless it's a prescribed easy and/or fun run (and then I need to make an effort to keep it EASY!)

I am reading Run Less, Run Faster (it puts me to sleep though; no lie - it's not that it's boring, it just somehow lulls me into sleep!!). One of the best points I've taken from the book is not to make arbitrary goals based on numbers - to make realistic, achievable goals. So my first goal in making the above list is making ACHIEVABLE goals. For instance, I would truly like to break the 4-hour barrier for the marathon - a goal and hope shared by many mid-pack runners. But I have to ask myself: Is it realistic for me to expect to achieve running sub-9 minute miles for 26.2 consecutive miles? At this point I think it's highly unrealistic, but believe that based on my projected Chicago marathon finish time (the first half) of 4:17 that with perseverance, dedication and consistency a time of 4:15 or slightly less is not out of my reach. Maybe just maybe 4:00 won't be either, come November, but on this 4th day of January I know that creating a goal just out of my reach will only serve to be discouraging, which is exactly what a goal - or resolution - is supposed to NOT do!!

My first run of 2010 was an icy cold one. My van said it was 36 degrees out and I knew that Steve Jerve, my beloved weatherdude, had said there would be a northwest wind making it feel colder. While playing Words With Friends with Jenny on my iTouch Saturday night (all the cool kids stay home on Saturday night and play electronic Scrabble) I asked if we could start at the ungodly late hour of 7am and maybe take advantage of some sunbeams. She wrote back that her mom, who was running with us in the morning, had declared me a saint. Yay! Sainthood AND a late start AND I finally got to meet Jenny's mom (who is a blog-buddy)! Sunday was going to be GREAT - and it was! Yes, it was cold (I wore my Chicago marathon shirt, a fleece sweatshirt and a down-like vest thing) but it was worth it to get back to my old running trail with my buddies - Jenny, Carin and me plus - of course - Jenny's mom. It was a great run but actually was a little harder because of the chill I think. I felt like my legs never really got warm and that I had so much *stuff* on that I couldn't get into a good running form. I did forgo my water belt in favor of the water the trail provides, because I figured I wouldn't be too thirsty in the chill. The thought of carrying cold water bottles on my backside, not to mention the extra 4 inches of layers I was wearing, was completely unappealing. It was a good choice - it was only when we got done that I realized I was REALLY thirsty, but I grabbed my coffee and used that to quench my thirst until I could get home. It was 10 fun miles which didn't feel like 10 miles as we gabbed away and got caught up with each other!

Today ... boot camp. The class was FULL. My first thought when I saw all of the people crammed in together was "Good - no mountain climbers or squat thrusts." Apparently Ma'am read my mind because we DID have to do squat thrusts, on the first day no less. Other than that it was a fairly easy class but I know that won't last. The hardest part was definitely heading out into the unusually cold air for a short half-mile run. I'm a little out of sorts because she mentioned the PT test was changing as of this session, and this morning was even more cryptic when she described what is normally the mile running test as a "cardiovascular endurance" test. What else but running can be used as a measurement for "cardiovascular endurance"? A classmate and I grilled her a bit for the answer, with no luck. This classmate and I are not fond of change, so we anxiously await the answer...

Best Birthday Ever

2009-12-31T11:30:00.004-05:00

I am still in the afterglow of the best birthday ever!! And when you are an old lady of 38, that's saying something.

I got to celebrate early at my childhood home with my parents (celebrating your birthday with your parents when you live 3 states away is really special!) and then yesterday I was spoiled!! After I got back from my run (a little early, apparently we ran too fast! :)) I found Chuck and Gregory in the kitchen setting up a surprise with cake, flowers, a bottle of Coppola (yum), a singing banner and Belle stuff! (My family has really embraced my boot camp nickname - think they are enjoying the fact that my princess tendency finally has an outlet?)

Still in the after-glow of my fantastic day, I am beginning to appreciate having a birthday on the second-to-the-last day of the year. While people all over the world are focusing on this past year and mapping a plan for the next one, I am also - not only thinking of the calendar year ahead but what I want to have accomplished when the next birthday finds me?

I'll define my goals for the new year tomorrow, on the first day, but on this last day I want to reflect on this past year, and what made it special...

January

Completed my second Goofy's challenge, with a marathon PR

February

Age group winner 5k, 25:33 (easing toward my goal to break 25)

March

Emily runs a 5k PR in 27:30

April

Emily and I run as a mother-daughter team for the Iron Girl 5k and win 3rd place overall team
Chuck, my sister and I have a fantastic time in Nashville, running the Country Music Half marathon

May

Two 5ks, and Chuck and I discover the fun of sneaking off to a race before the kids even get out of bed - a Saturday morning date of sorts!!

June

I discover boot camp!!

July

Marathon training begins...again

August

Fought through the strong urge to quit training for Chicago - that I didn't is one of my greatest accomplishments of 2009!

September

Hottest 20-miler ever - done!

October

What else? That magical 11th day of October, when I ran my 5th marathon, 9 months to the day after Disney, and loved every.single.minute. If the first 4 marathons didn't do it, THIS one made me a true blue marathoner. (with a new PR!)

November

Proudly watched as the kids I coached ran their first - or best - 5k
Ran in - and participated as a volunteer for - the Inaugural Women's Half Marathon in St. Pete. What a wonderful experience!

December

New half-marathon PR in warm and steamy conditions at the Holiday Halfathon

2009

If I had to sum up the whole year, I'd say the overall highlight of my year as a runner is the discovery that my sport has become such a wonderful family activity. As parents of two teens, one pre-teen and a 9-year-old girl, it's a challenge to find activities that incorporate all of us and our interests, and keep our children as close as possible to us during these vulnerable years without stifling their need to be among their peers. It means everything to me that this has become a family activity that allows all of us to spectate, volunteer, participate and encourage not only each other, but the good friends we've been lucky enough to make along the way.

Catching Up!

2009-12-30T12:58:00.006-05:00

I am settling back into Florida life (read: no snow!) after a 9-day trip up to see my parents in NC and my in-laws in VA. In an effort to not "advertise" that my home was vacant and dog-free for that long (though constantly watched by wonderful and attentive neighbors) I have not posted.

Well, and also I have not run.

That's not entirely true: I did run Christmas Day. I had to run Christmas day; I was staring down the barrel of almost a full week of not only not running, but not doing ANYTHING. Not one push-up. Not one sit-up. Not one mile. So while my kids and their aunt, uncles and grandparents headed out to ice skate, and my smart husband snuggled up on the couch for a long winter's nap, I donned 457 articles of clothing and slipped out into the wet chilly overcast day to run 5.5 miles in the foothills of northern Virginia. There was some precip, not sure what - it wasn't rain and it wasn't snow, I think it's another miserable animal called *SLEET*. Or wintry mix. Something unpleasant and wet and permeating. Ack.

Here is proof if you don't believe me - don't look at my wrinkly old lady face, please, look at the SNOW!

I have decided: I am far too lazy to live north of Florida. I cannot keep up with pairs of things - gloves, heavy socks, 2 different pairs of boots depending on the weather, ear muffs, etc. Not to mention a scarf, jackets and coats of varying thicknesses, hats for different occasions, etc. etc. etc. ET CETERA!! My children would have never been potty trained (can you imagine peeling that many layers off your child for what turned out to be a "false alarm"?!), my car would have flat tires from sitting in the garage all winter long, and I'd be sitting on the coach, eating bon bons and going stir crazy. I thought running in the heat and humidity here was tough; you northern folks now have my utmost respect for the conditions you persevere through!!

I mean my God - I could have FALLEN! I can hardly stay upright on dry and somewhat even soil, can you IMAGINE the risk I'd take every time I wandered into the great Tundra known as winter?! Like REAL winter, not pretend winter as we have down in FL. *shudder*

Last night was speedwork night, which I am beginning to love as much as I hate, LOL. I HATE repeats, very much. I cannot tell you how much, really. They hurt, they make me want to puke, and I never feel like I am running fast enough despite the fact that I hurt and want to puke. BUT, the group that we have running together is really fun, works really really hard, and we really do motivate each other which makes the experience something to look forward to on some level. The other thing about speedwork is when you are done you feel really good. Because honestly, what's the point of doing something unless you are going to do your very best, and know that it's going to make the very best of you?

I have a new toy that I roped Chuck into buying me for Christmas - a heart rate monitor. It synchs with my existing Garmin. I tried programming it for the first time on the ride to the workout last night, so it was a little wonky on me. So the numbers geek does not know the numbers but I do know 1) I hurt and 2) I could tell that I had sat out a week or so and 3) that I like 200s way better than 400s. 200s after 400s is like a nap. We had to do 8x400 and 4x200. Actually, the marathoners had to do 8 400s, I only was supposed to do 6, but I haven't ruled the Gasparilla full completely out, so I am trying to stick with the marathoners' workouts for now.

Today is my birthday, and I always do a birthday run. I guess it's arguable that it makes better sense to NOT shoe-horn yourself out of a nice warm comfy bed to run in 40-degree weather on the day you could easily get a pass, but to me it's the ultimate celebration of life, and who I am. Jenny asked me if I'd like to run hills, and offered to pick me up for the ride, both of which I happily accepted! We met Cherise there, and headed out into the brisk air for our hills. My teeth chattered the entire first mile but I was happy, glad I had good friends with me who were helping to make my birthday special. We managed 7 miles at 8:55 according to Jenny's Garmin (actually I took a bit of a break so more fairly I probably did 6.75 - I stopped my Garmin and forgot to re-start it at mile 3.70). At the end they told me we were doing TWO of the big hill, not just one, in honor of the day.

We were cold almost as immediately as we finished, so we ducked into Jenny's car where she had homemade banana nut muffins waiting. YUM. Have I mentioned, not only can the girl run, but she can bake?!

I am feeling pretty blessed these days - family, friends, and the holidays ... it's the most wonderful time of the year!

Friday Morning Reunion Run :)

2009-12-21T10:30:00.003-05:00

I pestered Jenny until I convinced her to run with me on Friday. I told her I'd even go slow for her, since she's recovering from Dallas still. She did finally agree but I was afraid our plans would be thwarted when I got ready to walk out the door to - rain! I had heard dripping from my upstairs bedroom but with the humidity being as high as it's been this winter, that's not an unusual sound. If it's raining outright I can hear it on the roof of the house but I don't hear the splash of the rain until I get to the first level, so it wasn't until I was fully dressed that I realized we could be rained out.

I texted Jenny and she said she was still on. I stepped outside and it had warmed significantly from even though night before, so I had to go back inside and change shirts. Now I was running late, but fortunately Jenny - and Mark and Cherise, who were joining us - ran toward my house so they didn't wait too long. It was Mark's birthday run and I haven't seen Cherise in forever, so it was a great way to catch up. The rain wasn't fun but it wasn't too bad - until about 2 miles in, and then the skies opened up. We had no choice but to persevere, and since it wasn't also cold, it wasn't too miserable. We were all more concerned about our electronics more than anything, but I had my BlackBerry in a freezer bag and Mark had his phone in a bag as well, and the Garmins seemed to survive the onslaught.

When I got home and downloaded the run I was really surprised to see that we were running in the 9:40s - it felt faster. Actually, it felt HARDER, but I think that had to do with the rain. I overloaded my legs on Thursday, too - between boot camp, and my tempo run and a weight workout with Tracie I forgot to mention here, my legs were fairly taxed and anything faster might have been pretty painful.

It was nice to catch up and get a chance to run with my friends before the craziness of Christmas started. It ended up being one of the most relaxing parts of my day!!

Ma'am: Like Mom

2009-12-17T21:12:00.004-05:00

You know how when you were growing up and your Mom remembered e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g? Like a snake lying in wait, you'd think you'd gotten by with some transgression and then - !!! - it would suddenly come back to bite you. My kids are so lucky - their mother has such a sieve for a memory that I have to actually WRITE DOWN that they are grounded, for how long and why. I also don't hold a grudge, so once I've laid down the law and handed out the pain, I tend to get right on over whatever it was that ticked me off. But most Moms - including my own - just took note of whatever and soon enough, you'd hear about it. It might not be right then, but you'd hear.

How does this relate to boot camp?

Remember 3 weeks ago when we had our last fun-n-games session and we misbehaved so badly that I said (in all seriousness) that I was going to have to figure out a workout later in the day? I couldn't work out, I was laughing so hard. I laid on my mat and LMAO. Like, for real. (I hope - maybe not OFF but smaller?) The last Thursday is always fun but this was out of control. Well guess what? Ma'am did not forget. So today she walked in, plopped down her stuff and walked out. I spied a box of crayons (we sometimes do some crafty-type activity, it is camp after all) so we wondered if maybe we'd color something? She seemed in good spirits so we wondered what fun we'd be having today. She came back in, we greeted her, she reminded us of how poorly we behaved 3 weeks ago, told us to grab our stuff and get ready to run.

WHAT?! I think I actually uttered that out loud. What what? Out we went, for a 24-minute run. I wondered if I'd cop out on my tempo run tonight so to make sure I got something in, I tried to push the pace. I ended up at 8:43 for 2.73. Okay, grounding over, right? NO. We got back inside and were treated to push-ups until we all collapsed. Done now? NO. 200 hundred crunches. Then a little game where we made up an exercise and performed it, then on to awards. Whew. I think I shall be feeling "fun Thursday" tomorrow morning!!!!

I had suggested the Gasparilla group get together for the prescribed tempo run on Thursdays. Since it was my idea I thought I should show up, even though I had 100001 things to do. Plus I was having one crappy afternoon and nothing balances me out like a good solid run. No one wanted to do the full run due to time constraints, so we decided to do a .5 mile warm-up and then 4.5 miles at tempo. I worked hard and was rewarded with a nice average - 8:39. That included a 9:14 mile (with the warm-up) and a 7:56 last mile. The total was 5.

Speed-work Tuesday and PT Test Wednesday

2009-12-16T18:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday she mixed it up and had us run by time rather than distance. It was actually kind of fun though I did not push myself as hard as I do for distance for some reason. I was disappointed with my times once I got home and downloaded them. Because of the way we did the repeats, I didn't end in the same place each time so I couldn't use time AND distance to determine if I was faster after each interval. I might not be explaining that right, but trust me on this.

We were to do 2 minutes at 90% then 2 minutes slow. I have to admit I didn't give it 90% and I can't say why. There was something holding me back and I'm not sure what it was. At first glance I'd say it was fear but I'm not sure what of? I admitted that I am a little afraid of falling, which is a legitimate fear for me, given that I'm pretty prone to it. I think I am afraid of moving so quickly that when (not if, WHEN) I fall it's going to hurt. I guess it's kind of inevitable at this point, but I might as well take the chance. Runners fall all the time - it's part of running. It's not pretty, but it's part of pushing yourself. Like puking, which I have NEVER done but wouldn't be too upset if I did. It's a runner badge of honor to some extent - it means you pushed yourself as hard as you could.

(I know, I know - why would anyone want to puke? But the same token, why would anyone want to run 26.2 miles? No one ever said we runners are sane, just tenacious as hell.)

Anyway, the average pace for the 2-minute fast portions were 6:59, 7:18, 7:31, 7:25, 7:14. For me, those numbers aren't impressive; remember these are only ~1/3 mile intervals. At 90%, I should be MUCH faster than that. I also had skipped boot camp, so I couldn't even blame a long day or burnt out legs on the lack of performance. It was lack of heart and effort, plain and simple.

This morning we had our PT test - which I fully expected but still wasn't feeling up for. Fortunately she does it in the order of exercises I hate to exercises I love: push-ups, then sit-ups, then 1-mile run. I got 44 pushups (up from 36 three weeks ago), 43 sit-ups (up from 42) and a 7:27 run - the SAME as 3 weeks ago. I was stewing about that and normally Ma'am would give me the "Well then... do better!" speech (a.k.a. - "I'm not going to make you feel better about something you shouldn't feel good about") but instead she pointed out that I just raced a PR on Sunday, speedwork last night, and I hadn't gone backward. So I felt a little bit better about my time. Ma'am isn't officially my coach - technically I'm an assistant coach to her - but she is kind of, and I like that. She will be on my butt when I need it (and sometimes when I don't want it - I've been known to think, "Oh crap!" when I know she's getting ready to push me on a run - I can hear her coming and know I'm going to be on the edge of Puke City) but she'll also make me feel better if I need that, too. It's sort of like when your kids come to you with a half-hearted project or piece of artwork. If scribble-scrabble elicits the same excitement and praise as hard work, you are going to lose some credibility. So because Ma'am does not cut me ANY slack as a rule, when she does I can appreciate it.

Once I got over my own little mini-fit, I got to watch some friends just absolutely KILL their times from the beginning of the session - it was so awesome! It wasn't even one of those "perfect weather" mornings where better times are handed to you. It was just a solid three weeks' worth of HARD work getting proven. Awesome.

Monday Boot Camp and Gone Un-crazy

2009-12-14T19:51:00.002-05:00

I was all excited to go to bootcamp today. I was excited to see my friends and see how they felt after the half, and excited at the prospect that it would be an easy day. Okay, so maybe I'm not un-crazy. What was I thinking? Why did I think it would be an easy day? When is there ever an easy day at boot camp? I guess I was thinking that since Ma'am ran yesterday and there were a lot of us with a half-mary hangover, she might give us a pass. HA! First, I should have realized she would respect the fact that not everyone, not even most, ran the half-marathon and expected a good workout and second, it's Ma'am.

After thirty minutes of a workout including about 1 million pushups (no, I am not exaggerating)(okay, maybe a little) we went out for our run. It felt so yummy to be out there stretching my legs and working out the kinks from yesterday. I ran a 10:05 pace for 1.59 miles and enjoyed every bit of it. Tomorrow I my legs have to be ready to work hard again. In six weeks I'm going to shave a few more minutes off that half-marathon time. :)

As for the un-crazy - I've decided I am NOT going to do the Gasparilla full. It was a crazy thought and I know I could do it, but I think it would be better to spend that day enjoying the victories of the people I am helping to coach, rather than making it a Big Day for me. I'd rather be out there cheering on marathoners instead of being one. There are other races to pursue. There will never be another Gasparilla marathon (so they say) but there are other great ones out there...

Holiday Halfathon #3

2009-12-13T13:42:00.004-05:00

Time: 1:56:36 - a new PR! :)

EDIT - Chip time is 1:56:12

As my final preparation for this race I was a good girl yesterday, drinking lots of water and trying to make good food choices. Chuck and I tucked in at a reasonable 10:30 last night and I slept like a log until the alarm rang at 5:00.

Chuck walked the dog, came in and saw me in my long sleeved technical shirt and said, "You aren't going to need that. At all." WHAT? I whined. It's not even early-morning chilly out there? and he shook his head no.

At that point I went into a tizzy. I am SICK of running hot and humid races, SICK OF IT. I hate the heat and I tolerate it only to get to this time of year, where I can see my breath as I run and cozy up in one of the long tech shirts I have overflowing one of my drawers. I want to zip on tights and wear a hat and wonder if the new Bolega socks I've switched to are warm enough. I am SORRY, but 5am on a December 13th morning should not be 71 degrees. I don't care where you live, it's just wrong. And I understand that I cashed in some serious chips to get that Chicago weather but really. Haven't I paid my dues?

Ma'am texted me on the way to the race (she had decided to run it too) asking if I were ready so I translated my tantrum into a text. Chuck and I weren't speaking at that point because I'd gone into "kill the messenger" mode (he was, after all, the one to deliver the weather news to me first, heaven help him). I don't know what I expected my tantrum or my misguided anger to accomplish - I think I wanted Chuck to say, "What? It's hot? I'll get right on that for you!" or something. I am such a brat sometimes.

I also wanted to get my negativity in check because I had several friends who were running a half marathon for the first time and I did not want to bring anything but a positive attitude with me. No one who is already nervous needs a "seasoned" runner to be grumbling about things, especially things beyond anyone's control, and I certainly didn't want to point out anything that would add to their nerves or discomfort. By the time we arrived I had my game face on, and I thought about what Jenny said after the Halloween Half - I wanted to just get it (it being a set goal) done. I wanted to PR, and I wanted to do it today, and I wasn't going to let the weather stop me this time.

I saw a bunch of friends, and then Jodi and I hung out at the start. We were also united in our mutual fretting about Jenny, who is off in Dallas running her marathon and going for a BQ.

The first mile was slower than I'd hoped - I had a hard time getting around people and I didn't want to weave too much. I also didn't want to go out too fast. I had a plan this time, and I wanted to stick close to it. My plan was to go for the negative splits if I could, but mostly wanted a negative second half of the race. My first mile was 9:17 - I had a panic moment there for a minute but I evaluated how I felt (good! it felt too slow!) and knew it would be okay. I had 12.1 to make it up and it didn't have to be done RIGHT then, either.

I got into the zone right away - far sooner than I usually do. This race also reminded me of Chicago a bit because I kept wondering when I was going to feel bad? I could see people were covered in sweat early in the race and that there was humidity hanging in the air and that I by all rights should be mis-er-a-ble. But I wasn't. I enjoyed the hills (acceleration pads as Jenny renamed them :)). I knew I had gotten good at hills so I relished the opportunity to prove that.

At the half way point is a clock (brilliant idea, BTW!) and it read 58:xx. I had crossed about 35 seconds in, so I knew I was on pace for a PR. I was really enjoying the course now that it was familiar to me and I knew what to expect. I had a feeling that I could do the second half a bit faster than the first half - I felt like I'd conserved nicely and had a bit of push left in me. And I still didn't feel bad, which surprised me.

About this time I found a girl who was "leap frogging" me. I realized we were pretty spot on pace-wise, so I used her to keep my place when I'd stop for water. Since it was so nasty out I didn't dare skip a water station, but she skipped quite a few. I'd stop and drink and then sprint to catch up with her. She started using me the same way - at the hills (overpasses) I'd power up (and down) them and she'd catch me when it flattened out. I wondered if she was using me the way I was using her until she asked what pace we were on and someone else answered her (I had my mouth open to respond) and then she said, "This girl here is my inspiration." So now we had a silent agreement that we'd pull each other along ... though I don't like racing with someone else as a rule I did like what was going on here - I felt responsible for her and likewise I think she felt responsible for me. I knew it would KILL me if I stopped to walk and watched her (and my pace!) go running off ahead so I knew I had to just hang on. I warned her of the surprise last hill but that was all we said to each other those last 6 miles.

I thought I'd enjoy the packed-sand/shell trail of the last mile but it interrupted my "zone" since there was no resistance. It started wearing on my legs and kept me from ripping out that last mile as I'd hoped. I started just running from one point to the next, looking forward to the sidewalk and then asphalt. I loved that I knew this course so well and had no surprises in store. I knew where my bad spots would be and what my brain would have to fight through. I knew I had to go up a small grade to mile 13 and that I could power down a hill to the finish. I felt SO good finishing and was SO excited to see that time on the clock! It wasn't the sub-1:55 I'd hoped for but it was my goal #2 - a PR, and I'd take it happily, especially in those hot and humid conditions. My favorite moment was when Chuck saw me (he and the kids were volunteering at the finish) and he looked surprised, glanced at the clock, and mouthed "WOW!" That's exactly how I felt.

I went back out to see my friends finish which was awesome, so awesome that I cried when one of the new half-marathoners finished. It was a great day - I just love this race. It's fun, it attracts a lot of regular runners, it's well organized, it's a great venue, there is a spirit of good fun throughout it - definitely a wonderful Tampa Bay Christmas tradition!

Written Proof I Am Crazy

2009-12-11T13:14:00.004-05:00

I am thinking about bumping up the Gasparilla half marathon to the full.

It's a thought that's been edging in since Tuesday, when one of the members of the running group I help coach said, "I thought you were doing the whole? You aren't? Why not?" and I honestly didn't have an answer. I kinda did the deer-in-headlights kinda thing - Um, I don't know? I don't want to?

Or do I?

Crap.

Here are the pros, and here are the cons:

PROS

I am already doing a lot of the training the full marathoners are doing in our program - I cut the speedwork this week but I was cutting it anyway thanks to my race Sunday
It's the last one, that's kinda cool I guess
Everyone else is doing it (peer pressure?)
I won a free entry
It's in the winter, which means I'm training in the winter, which I love
I can do 20-milers with a big group - as I've said I'm really not good at motivating myself to do the really hard workouts
I can get another charm for my charm bracelet (though in all fairness I'd get one of those for the 1/2, too...)

CONS

It's a little impulsive to decide this so far into the training, even though I've done the training (but isn't there a rule against that? Isn't the provision that you are supposed to have more than 16 weeks until your marathon before you decide you might like to do it? Wouldn't that then qualify my entry as more of an "impulse buy" rather than a well thought out major purchase?)
I've never thought of that course as being very interesting or very well supported, crowd-wise, and we all know what a spoiled brat I am about that kind of thing.
All the yummy Columbia Restaurant food might be gone when I finish.
Likewise, so might the beer.
I don't know how this would impact my desire to do one of the fall marathons (Nike Women's, NYC and Marine Corp are all on my list).
I haven't even asked Chuck his opinion yet, and he may just find out by reading my blog if he does so before he gets home this evening. He may very well talk me out of it (which would be acceptable; he knows me best).
The weather will be iffy and you know how obsessed with the weather I am. We are in an El Niño year and those suck, frankly.
All of these cons are really lame, aren't they?

*sigh*

The Week Until Now

2009-12-09T19:50:00.001-05:00

Monday - stayed in Orlando overnight on Sunday, so Chuck wouldn't have to drive home late at night. God bless him, he was willing to so I wouldn't miss boot camp. I had set a personal goal for perfect attendance for December (easy in a 3-week month with no really large long runs on tap) and I think he wanted to honor that. But truly, near-perfect attendance was good enough. No reason to cause a miserable ride home and possibly put my family at risk for a 6am class.

So there went my prize. *sob*

(just kidding)

Tuesday - Last week Ma'am promised heavy cardio this week (yay!) so we had a 22 minute run. Yay for 2 reasons - I obviously prefer to run (hello) and it was less calisthenics (is that grammatically correct? It looks wrong). I know I opt to be there and that it's good for me, but it's also like a vacation to get to cut that part short in favor of a nice long run, even if it feels like summer out there. I tried to keep up with the boys (they always trick me - I can keep up until the turn-around and then they dust me. ) I ended up getting in 2.55 in the 21:22 for a 8:22 pace. It was hard, I won't lie, but I was happy with that.

Last night I had to go back for speedwork. I was a little giddy about the speedwork - Ma'am had told me in an email that due to my desire to PR my upcoming race, I should just do 4 400s. FOUR FOUR-HUNDREDS?! That's like a nap! WOOT! Sure, they are hard when you do them, but it's only about a minute and a half of hard. There are a few more in the group who are also doing the 1/2 and also wanting to PR so she adjusted their speedwork as well. It sounded all fine and good, but when we got out there we weren't too sure. We were like children, trying to negotiate: Could we do an extra 800 too? Shouldn't we do at least one 1600? (We got, "Y'all can do whatever you want to do, but ..." which we all knew meant we were to do 4 400s. Period.) We went out for a one mile warm up and then charged through the 400s and when we were done, we jumped around at loose ends. It was too short. Too little. We were like little jumping beans, twitching and all off kilter until she told us to go run a 1-mile cool down. It was like being told to just go play already or something! LOL!

Wednesday - today after doing what probably amounted to 900 mountain climbers (which I hate) and some push-ups (which I love to hate) and some crunches (which I love) we went out for a 20-minute run. My legs felt like lead and I wasn't surprised to see the first mile clock in at 8:52. It felt even slower, really. I couldn't even come close to catching the boys nor did I want to. We turned around at 10 minutes and they easily caught me. There was a strong headwind and I was really not enjoying the run - I think I would have been okay with going back in for some more mountain climbers at that point. One of the guys heckled that I was faster than that (yeah, I know! *whine*) and got me to stick with him. I thought I couldn't keep up, but then he stopped to tie his shoe which put him BEHIND me, which Jenny pointed out recently makes it easier to run faster. It's easier somehow to try to stay ahead of someone rather than try to catch them. He "chased" me all the way to the end (when he easily caught and passed me), allowing me to clock a more respectable 8:25 2nd mile, and my last .3 was 7:20. Whew. And then I died. (Just kidding again, of course.)

I am DEFINITELY doing better, running-wise, in a group setting. Getting pushed, heckled, chased, etc. makes me dig a little deeper than I ever do on my own.